Got Glue (And UV Light)?
Here’s an effective albeit atypical way to fixture parts such as thin-wall castings that are prone to flexing when conventional mechanical clamps are used.
.jpg;width=70;height=70;mode=crop;format=webp)
Sometimes shops have to get pretty creative when trying to figure out how best to fixture a part for machining. Precision Grinding and Manufacturing, in Rochester, New York, leverages an atypical technology to fixture parts such as thin-wall castings that are prone to flexing when conventional mechanical clamps are used.
In short, this technology, available from Blue Photon Technology and Workholding Systems, uses adhesive to temporarily bond a workpiece to numerous cylindrical grippers installed in a fixture plate. Once the adhesive is cured via ultraviolet (UV) light, the workpiece is securely held at a known datum location in an undistorted, free-state condition. After machining, the adhesive bonds between the grippers and workpiece are easily broken and any excess adhesive is removed from the completed part via a quick, steam-cleaning wash.
Read this story to learn how PGM is using this technology to its advantage.
Related Content
-
Using Jaws as Grippers Enables Flexible, Low-Cost Automation
VersaBuilt’s automation systems significantly boosted Innovative Fabrication’s revenue. In return, the shop has helped VersaBuilt optimize its products.
-
Fixturing Castings Made Simple Through Adhesive Workholding
When a casting proved too malleable for traditional gripping, Thomas/Euclid Industries adopted — and succeeded with — Blue Photon adhesive workholding.
-
A Case for Combining Workholding with Optical Scanning
Automotive dies and die inserts are often complex, one-off parts with little room for error. Integrity Tool's investments in modular workholding tools and 3D optical scanning have allowed the company to create niche capabilities for its CNC machined parts.
