Clamping Method in Jigs and Fixture

CLAMPING METHOD IN
JIGS AND FIXTURE

CLAMPING GUIDELINES
Locating the workpiece is the first basic
function of a jig or fixture. Once located,
the workpiece must also be held to
prevent movement during the operational
cycle. The process of holding the position
of the workpiece in the jig or fixture is
called clamping.
The primary devices used for holding a
workpiece are clamps
Factors in Selecting Clamps
Clamps serve two primary functions. First,

they must hold the workpiece against its
locators. Second, the clamps must prevent
movement of the workpiece. The locators,
not the clamps, should resist the primary
cutting forces generated by the operation.
Holding the Workpiece Against Locators
 . Clamps are not intended to resist the
primary cutting forces. The only purpose
of clamps is to maintain the position of
the workpiece against the locators and
resist the secondary cutting forces. The
secondary cutting forces are those
generated as the cutter leaves the
workpiece. In drilling, for example, the
primary cutting forces are usually
directed down and radially about the axis
of the drill. The secondary forces are the
forces that tend to lift the part as the drill
breaks through the opposite side of the
part. So, the clamps selected for an
application need only be strong enough
to hold the workpiece against the locators
and resist the secondary cutting forces
Holding Securely Under Vibration,
Loading, and Stress
 Holding Securely Under
Vibration, Loading, and
Stress. The next factors in
selecting a clamp are the
vibration and stress
expected in the operation.
Cam clamps, for example,
although good for some
operations, are not the
best choice when
excessive vibration can
loosen them. It is also a
good idea to add a safety
margin to the estimated
forces acting on a clamp.
Preventing Damage to the Workpiece.
 The clamp chosen must also
be one that does not damage
the workpiece. Damage
occurs in many ways. The
main concerns are part
distortion and marring. Too
much clamping force can
warp or bend the workpiece.
Surface damage is often
caused by clamps with
hardened or non-rotating
contact surfaces. Use clamps
with rotating contact pads or
with softer contact material to
reduce this problem. The best
clamp for an application is
one that can adequately hold
the workpiece without surface
damage.
Improving Load/Unload Speed
 The speed of the
clamps is also important
to the workholder's
efficiency. A clamp with
a slow clamping action,
such as a screw clamp,
sometimes eliminates
any profit potential of
the workholder. The
speed of clamping and
unclamping is usually
the most-important
factor in keeping
loading/unloading time
to a minimum.
Positioning the Clamps
 The position of clamps on the workholder is just
as important to the overall operation of the tool
as the position of the locators. The selected
clamps must hold the part against the locators
without deforming the workpiece. Once again,
since the purpose of locators is to resist all
primary cutting forces generated in the operation,
the clamps need only be large enough to hold
the workpiece against the locators and to resist
any secondary forces generated in the operation
 o meet both these
conditions, position the
clamps at the most-rigid
points of the workpiece.
With most workholders,
this means positioning the
clamps directly over the
supporting elements in the
baseplate of the workholder,
Figure-3-23a
 In some cases the
workpiece must be clamped
against horizontal locators
rather than the supports,
Figure 3-23b. In either case,
the clamping force must be
absorbed by the locating
elements.
For workholders
with two supports
under the
clamping area of
the workpiece, two
clamps should be
used — one over
each support,
 Another consideration in positioning clamps
is the operation of the machine tool
throughout the machining cycle. The clamps
must be positioned so they do not interfere with
the operation of the machine tool, during either
the cutting or return cycle. Such positioning is
especially critical with numerically controlled
machines. In addition to the cutters, check
interference between the clamps and other
machine elements, such as arbors, chucks,
quills, lathe carriages, and columns.
 When fixturing an automated machine, check
the complete tool path before using the
workholder. Check both the machining cycle
and return cycle of the machine for interference
between the cutters and the clamps.
Occasionally programmers forget to consider the
tool path on the return cycle. One way to reduce
the chance of a collision and eliminate the need
to program the return path is simply to raise the
cutter above the highest area of the workpiece
or workholder at the end of the machining cycle
before returning to the home position.
 Most clamps are
positioned on or near the
top surface of the
workpiece. The overall
height of the clamp, with
respect to the workpiece,
must be kept to a
minimum. This can be
done with gooseneck-type
clamps, Figure 3-25. As
shown, the gooseneck
clamp has a lower profile
and should be used where
reduced clamp height is
needed.
 The workpiece shown in Figure 3-26 illustrates
this point. The part is a thin-wall ring that must
be fixtured so that the internal diameter can be
bored. The most-convenient way to clamp the
workpiece is on its outside diameter; however,
to generate enough clamping pressure to hold
the part, the clamp is likely to deform the ring.
The reason lies in the direction and magnitude
of the clamping force: rather than acting
against a locator, the clamping forces act
against the spring force of the ring resisting the
clamping action. This type of clamping should
only be used if the part is a solid disk or has a
small-diameter hole and a heavy wall thickness.
 To clamp this type of part, other techniques

should be used. The clamping arrangement in
Figure 3-27 shows the workpiece clamped with
four strap clamps. The clamping force is
directed into the base plate and not against the
spring force of the workpiece. Clamping the
workpiece this way eliminates the distortion of
the ring caused by the first method.
If the part can be
clamped only on its
outside surface, one
other method can be
used to hold the part:
a collet that
completely encloses
the part. As shown

Clamping Method in Jigs and Fixture

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What are the primary functions of clamps?

What factors should be considered when selecting clamps?

CLAMPING METHOD IN

JIGS AND FIXTURE

Clamps serve two primary functions. First,

 To clamp this type of part, other techniques

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