Published 5/21/2021

Precision Machining Technology Review May 2021: Workholding

Production Machining’s May Product Showcase includes new workholding equipment from Hainbuch, SMW Autoblok, Schunk, Northfield Precision and Ringspann Corp.

Edited by: Angela Osborne

Managing Editor, Gardner Business Media

Every month, we’re putting together a Technology Showcase, highlighting some of the product information that PM received from supplier companies. For May, Production Machining focused on workholding, including a clamping system designed for small spaces, pull-down chucks with heavy-duty gripping, chuck jaws with flexible clamping and more as described below.

For the latest new products across the broad spectrum of precision machining, check out Production Machining’s New Products online.

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Read PM’s April’s Technology Review.

Click on each link below to read the full product post:

Hainbuch’s Centrotex S Part Clamping System Designed for Small Workspaces

Hainbuch’s Centrotex S

Hainbuch’s Centrotex S is a mini version of its part clamping device changeover system, enabling actuation with just one screw to reduce setup time. According to the company, the clamping device enables changeover in less than one minute. The system was designed to enable a robot to quickly change the clamping device. With less tightening torque than is required with the large variant (Centrotex M), the Centrotex S can be assembled more quickly.

TX Series Pull-Down Chucks Have Constant Clamp Force at Higher Speeds, Feeds

SMW Autoblok TX Series 3-jaw pull-down chucks

SMW Autoblok’s TX Series 3-jaw pull-down chucks are fully sealed, featuring high accuracy and rigid gripping. The chucks provide repeatability of up to 4 µm (0.00015") and precise, self-centering accuracy for heavy-duty metal cutting applications. The TX Series features the TX-C (tongue and groove) and TX-RV (quick jaw change) models. Both versions are well suited for first and second operations, while providing exceptional parallelism, the company says.

Schunk Rota-M Flex Chuck Jaw Offers Flexible Clamping Capabilities

Sealed guideways ensure process safety of the centrically compensating Schunk Rota-M flex 2+2 chuck.

Schunk’s Rota-M flex 2+2 is a low-maintenance, 2+2 chuck jaw specially designed to maximize clamping flexibility on mill/turn machines. The compensating mechanism provides a very long compensation stroke. Depending on the size, it amounts to 5.1 mm up to 10 mm per jaw. This means a single jaw offers the flexibility to clamp a wide variety of workpiece geometries.

Northfield Air Chucking System Requires No Air Tubes, Hoses

Northfield Precision Instrument Corp.’s Pressure-Lok air chuck

Northfield Precision Instrument Corp.’s Pressure-Lok air chuck requires no air tubes or hoses. It is charged with air by a special handle and holds air pressure for more than two weeks. This workholding air chuck can be mounted to rotary tables with no thru-hole, tombstones, pallets, transfer systems and more. The Pressure Lok air chuck is especially useful in machining operations that do not have air tubes near the machine.

Clamping Disks for Chucks and Mandrels Enable Low TIR

Ringspann bonded disc pack flange chuck with 15-degree clamping discs for the high-precision external clamping of cylindrical workpieces.

Ringspann’s 15-degree clamping discs feature true running accuracies of just 10 microns, and offer greater loading clearance and longer operating life. The discs are essential components for Ringspann’s standard clamping systems — LAFF flange chucks and LBDF flange mandrels — which are often used for machining cylindrical gear components.