Workholding Question

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

We have a job we are currently trying to switch over to running lights out, and one of the requirements for being able to do this is to eliminate the need for the operator to shuffle clamps mid-cycle.

 

The part weighs about 170lbs, and I have two 65mm bores on the part that I would love to use for ID clamping using something similar to this.

 

Problem is that these clamps would only be able to slide into these bores by 1/2", which isn't such a big deal, except for the fact they are mounted on a horizontal tombstone and need to maintain their hold on the part when it is rotated upside down.

 

Does anybody have any thoughts on this, or perhaps even attempted something similar and care to share their experience? I talked to the people at Mitee-bite already, and although they said that the clamps should maintain their hold on the part while it is upside down, I'm not entirely comfortable staking the entire process on what the sales guy thinks should work.

[Hardmill]

Ever try any milling magnets ??

Quite pricey but way versatile.

 

Email me if you have an interest, i got

a contact you can get ahold of.

 

 

 

PEACE

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

Yea, magnets are something else I have considered, but given the clearances available to us on the machine, it's likely we would need to either build a completely new tombstone, or have custom magnets built. One other concern with magnets is if they will hold the part in position when the part is at 90 degrees and a 1.5" high feed cutter is hogging it out.

[RobertELee]

I've made fixtures withvektek hydraulic swing clamps that worked pretty slick. Depending on the part we had 4-10 clamps per part. The clamping was controlled by the machine. At the beginning of the cycle half of the clamps would clamp down, it would run what it needed, then the rest of the clamps would come in and clamp, the clamps that started would then retract and it would finish machining the areas missed.

 

Never really liked mitee-bites, if they aren't perfectly aligned and tightened (especially in high vibration situations) they had a tendency to work themselves loose.

[Chris Rizzo]

quote:

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Never really liked mitee-bites, if they aren't perfectly aligned and tightened (especially in high vibration situations) they had a tendency to work themselves loose.

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me too

[Dave Ball]

this type of clamp works very well for clamping inside diameters.

 

[Rick Henrickson 65]

invertabolts and technigrips maybe you might have to reprogram a bit for lights out but should be worth it

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

quote:

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invertabolts and technigrips maybe you might have to reprogram a bit for lights out but should be worth it

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Unless I am missing something, this is going to require a dovetail to be machined into our parts, which is just not acceptable

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

An additional 5 minute operation is not worth lights out production?

[X-L Engineering Corp]

Don't know if you can get away with a vise but Kurt Work holding has a nice 5 Axis Vise if a Techni-Grip won't work.

[taperlength]

Someone(the boss) can't come in for a half hour at night to change clamps?

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

It's deffinitely worth the time to put the dovetail on the part, there is just nowhere to put it! Also, I'm sure we could get some one to change clamps, but then I don't get any new toys to play with