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The global workholding market is expected to grow to US$28.2 billion by 2021, at a CAGR of more than 5% over the period 2017-2021, according to Technavio. Meanwhile, the workholding market in Asia Pacific is expected to reach US$15.58 billion this year, the market research firm reported.
Workholding devices are used to secure a workpiece while machining it. They allow proper machining of the workpiece and helps in achieving a high degree of precision.
One of the major drivers for this market is safer and cleaner transportation. Governments across developed and developing countries are focusing more on factors such as environmental compatibility, preservation of resources, and safety. In response, automobile makers are beginning to build safer, cleaner, and cars such as zero emission vehicles.
The top three emerging trends driving the global workholding market are:Adhesive fixturing, Pallet systems for automated workholding changeovers, and additive manufacturing in workholding.
Adhesive fixturing for common workholding challenges
“Workholding is an important part in the machining of parts. The necessity of these devices has led to the development of a new workholding solution based on adhesives, which is accurate and efficient for multiple uses,” says Gaurav Mohindru, a lead analyst at Technavio for tools and components research.
The photo-activated adhesive workholding solution comprises an ultraviolet light source with a light guide, a specially developed workholding adhesive, and grippers, which double as lenses. This solution simplifies the fixturing for delicate and complex shaped metallic or machined ceramic parts.
For short-run jobs that are fragile and prone to distortion from mechanical or vacuum clamps, adhesive workholding is also an option. Blue Photon offers its high-performance, UV (ultraviolet)-light transmitting workholding grippers in metric sizes. The device is designed with multiple diameters to hold small to large workpieces. The grippers are inserted into a fixture, and the workpiece is secured to the grippers with the company’s gel-like adhesive material, BlueGrip. UV light is transmitted through the core of the gripper for 60 to 90 seconds to cure the adhesive, bonding the gripper to the part.
Pallet systems for automated workholding changeovers
During the machining of workpieces, it becomes necessary to change the workholdings based on the process being used. The need to reduce downtime and quickly change the top tooling and workholding as quickly as possible is imperative to manufacturers. Many market vendors have taken up this challenge and introduced pallet systems for automated workholding changeovers, which are capable of offering quick tooling and workholding change solutions without compromising on rigidity. The introduction of these systems has pushed customers to adopt these products.
SPREITZER GmbH & Co. KG offers efficient and modular workholding for pallet automation. The focus here is on maximum power and variability of the clamping device in a cost-efficent, economic investment. The fixturing holes in the base of the centreclamping vises allow the combination with various zero-point-systems respectively allows the easy mounting on standard pallet and automation systems.
Additive manufacturing in workholding
Additive manufacturing ensures minimal waste of raw materials while accurately producing parts per CAD design specifications. Workholding solutions manufactured through 3D printing take lesser time and result in robust workholding solutions, which ensure repeatability and efficiency.
While much of the interest in 3D printing has been centered on prototype and part production, Precision Metal Products Inc. (PMP), a job shop serving a variety of industries, is pioneering its use in the development of specialized fixtures.
According to PMP Vice President Sean O’Brien, “Many of the parts that we build require specialized workholding methods and tooling. In 2017, we discussed our applications with the people at Methods Machine Tools, and they suggested the Markforged X7. After some very convincing demonstrations, we purchased the machine. Our first success involved a stainless steel medical device less than 0.100" (2.54 mm) in diameter. Using 3D printing, we created a 5 × 5 × 3" (127 × 127 × 76.2-mm) printed box with a 0.5" (12.7 mm) hole in the center. This enabled us to access the workpiece on all sides and, using magnets affixed to the corners, to catch the parts as they were completed.”
Taiwan makers
Earth-Chain Enterprise Co., Ltd. is a professional manufacturer of magnetic tools. The companies MagVise magnetic workholding 'electro-permanent magnetic chuck eepm series', permanent lifting magnets elm series, and new dovetail microinching equipment received the “Good Design Product Mark” by the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs and the 18th Taiwan Excellence Award.
Autogrip Machinery Co., Ltd. is a specialist manufacturer of power chucks and rotary cylinders in Taiwan. Since 1989, the company devots to providing high rigidity, high precision quality products. The product lines include a complete set of 79-inch and under series, and related products, such as power chucks, special purpose power chucks, collet chucks, stationary chucks, synchronous clamps, facing heads, rotary cylinders, rotary valve/ rotary joint and accessories.
Taiwan’s CHANDOX markets their precision chucks all over the world. They focus their energies on three concepts: Quality, Design and Manufacturing Excellence. Chandox main products are: hydraulic chuck series, pneumatic chucks series, parts & accessories series, scroll chucks series, super thin chucks series, steel body chucks series, DIN chucks series.
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