Workholding
accessories are needed, and a range of fixture plates or vises can be readily mounted on top of the Quintus. One of the most useful features of the system is its zero- point mounting system, with which repeatability of fixture location is 0.0004" (0.010 mm) or better. The Speedy Zero- Point Quick Change Mounting System has several possible configurations.
Zero-Point Locating Posts provide a solid datum for two- axis location (similar to a Round Pin). Relieved Locating Posts locate in only a single axis (similar to a Diamond Pin). Floating Posts can move 0.010" (0.25 mm) in all directions, so they provide additional clamping force without affecting location. Carr Lane offers a wide range of vises and finds that five- axis customers are increasingly leaning toward concentric vises because of easier center alignment. “With the concentric vise, the jaws are within three-tenths of the center of the table every time,” Frost said.
Since the end of the recession, Colin said many compa- nies are investing in five-axis machines with the expectation
ONE-TOUCH MANUAL CLAMPS.
that they need one in order to credibly compete for business. Colin said the CL5 system brings more ease of use to those often-new five-axis machines. “It is truly a mix and match system,” he said. “The CL5 can be used all together or sepa- rate. People respond pretty well to having no adapter plates or additional bits and pieces over time.”
He added: “The customers don’t have to be worried that the Quintus and the vises are metric, they can bolt it to their inch subplate.”
Modularity is King Brian O’Rell, president at Raptor Workholding Products
(Simi Valley, CA), said his company offers flexible, modular workholding for five-axis manufacturing, an area that he said has been growing rapidly in recent years. “Modularity is becoming more common,” he said. “We try to do everything in one shot. That’s what we’re about.” O’Rell acknowledged that the trend is a bit ironic, given that machine shops are their customers. “They want you to deliver a product that they don’t have to do anything to. They don’t want to even drill a hole,” he said. “So we try to do it all for them.”
While Raptor doesn’t market its five-axis offerings as a complete system, he said their offerings are, essentially, no different than those that bill themselves that way. You still have to get a subplate, riser and top hat tooling, whatever that happens to be.
“Modularity is becoming more common. We try to do everything in one shot. That’s what we’re about.”
Fixtureworks® is your source for Imao® One-Touch manual
clamps. Available in miniature and heavy duty swing, pull, push, retractable and snap clamp configurations. Ideal for repetitive and precision clamping. Call us at 888.794.8687 for technical assistance and sales or go to
www.fixtureworks.net for online ordering, specs & CAD files.
Raptor’s modular workholding parts are, for the most part, built in the US and designed in US customary units. Raptor’s most popular product in this area is its RWP- 001. A 1.5" (38.1-mm) dovetail holder for milling and turning applications, the 001 offers superior clamping strength while allowing access to five sides of the workpiece. This five-axis fixture supports a maximum workpiece weight of 30 pounds and a size of up to 6.75 in.3
(110.6 cm3 ).
Raptor dovetail fixtures provide rigid clamping while exposing five faces of the workpiece, and most features can be completed in a single operation, O’Rell said. An optional locating pin ensures that the part is placed accurately and
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ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | February 2014 12/18/13 9:21 AM
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