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WORKHOLDING
Dimac Tooling – Comprehensive workholding, available nationwide With a range of workholding solutions to meet all its customers’ requirements, Dimac Tooling continues to unveil new products and services while its distributor network continues to grow. Dimac is the sole distributor of leading workholding and CNC accessory brands including Kitagawa power chucks, Lang Technik five-axis vises, Freddy coolant recyclers, Reven air cleaners, Hydrafeed barfeeders and Royal’s Rota-Rack. Dimac also manufactures its own soft jaws at its manufacturing facility at Dandenong, Victoria. Dimac soft jaws are precisionengineered and made from 1040 (or K1144) carbon steel and available in a large selection of sizes covering all brands of chucks. The company also offers custom sizes to suit any application, including complete custom workholding.
Mitee-Bite extends TalonGrip range Due to popular demand, Mitee-Bite has launched an additional product to the TalonGrip workholding range. Mitee-Bite’s products are an innovative product that increases the functionality of standard 100mm, 150mm and 200mm vises. TalonGrip is a simple bolt-on system that allows operators to perform aggressive machining operations while clamping on as little as 1.5mm. It is ideal for small lot sizes, difficult applications or proto-type work when building a fixture would not be beneficial. “The new TalonGrip long length serrated grips are designed for applications where specific grip location is not necessary or higher and full length penetration is desired,” says Dimac’s Managing Director Paul Fowler. The new grips are designed as a “drop fit” into the original TalonGrip jaw sets or for use on a fixture, with a gripping height range of 1.27mm to 4.06mm. The grips are made from S7 steel, heat-treated and finished with a black oxide coating. The grips are laser engraved with a useful 10mm scale for reference on repeatable part placement. TalonGrips are also available individually for fixturing with Pitbull and Dyna-Force clamps or for soft jaw applications. For more versatility, all jaw sets are tapped with two additional holes, providing an effective solution when down force or additional holding force is necessary. Jaws are not heat-treated to allow for custom modifications. The revolutionary Pitbull clamp remains the lowest profile, highest-holding force clamp in the industry today. High vertical and horizontal clamping forces are generated – considering the size of the Pitbull clamps.
AMT AUG/SEP 2020
With Dyna-Force the majority of the clamp is below the surface of the fixture which provides excellent clamp support and makes for a very low profile. The clamp jaw’s low profile design slides on an angle for positive down force providing incredible clamping and hold-down power. “There is no need for pre-machining or dovetailing workpieces, which allows for very secure holding at lower clamping forces to avoid deforming the workpiece,” Fowler adds. “This results in both a higher cutting rate and less material waste than traditional clamping systems.” Mitee-Bite Products LLC began in 1986 with the original Mitee-Bite hex clamp created to save time on a re-occurring production job. It has since grown to become the innovator of compact, lowprofile edge clamps for CNC machining. Fast forward more than 30 years and the company continues to develop new products that provide customers with a wide assortment of high-density low profile clamping solutions – all designed to keep the spindle running, cutter engagement, reducing idle spindle time, savings on material cost and reduced set-up times.
TG GripSerts – Exceptional clamping stability Fairlane, a well-known US manufacturer of workholding grippers, has recently released TG GripSerts, a new range of grippers to complement its existing range. Michiganbased Fairlane design, manufacture and stock a wide range of workholding and positioning components.
Fairlane grippers grip and penetrate the workpiece to provide superior holding power. Used in jigs, fixtures and chuck jaws, these grippers are versatile enough to fit any number of applications and their modular and economical replaceable wear surfaces extend the life of expensive clamping mechanisms. The replaceability of the grippers enhances a fixture system by minimising downtime during setup. Adjustable grippers are available in highspeed tool steel – with either tool steel or carbide serrations – in a number of thread styles and lengths. The fixed, nonadjustable grippers are available in round, square and angular configurations with a host of different serrated tooth patterns. Materials include high-speed tool steel, solid carbide and carbide tipped. The new range of TG GripSerts grippers offer many advantages over traditional clamping systems including exceptional clamping stability and vibration dampening. “There is no need for pre-machining or dovetailing workpieces, which allows for very secure holding at lower clamping forces to avoid deforming the workpiece,” says Fowler. “This results in both a higher cutting rate and less material waste than traditional clamping systems. With only 3.5mm of clamp surface needed to securely hold the workpiece, TG GripSerts workholding grippers are ideal for 5-axis machining operations.” Because of the geometry of the grippers, the TG GripSerts create a pull-down effect that prevents any lifting of the workpiece
