Custom workholding: where do you begin?

Starting up a new machining process can be a daunting task, a complex endeavor consisting of many elements, factors, and tasks requiring precise execution. Workholding is just one part of the process, but it is arguably the most critical piece.

Superior, custom-engineered workholding is the foundation of a precision-machined part. It is the highly engineered, custom link connecting unfinished parts to the machining center, coolant, tooling, automation, and operators with the purpose of transforming them into precision-machined parts.

Never forget it is always about the machined part’s quality, cycle time, and overall cost to manufacture, not about the machine, tooling, programming, coolant, or even workholding. Think about the relationship of the machined part to the cutting tools, machining center, coolant, operator, and automation. These are two-way relationships and none of them could happen without workholding.

The cutting tools only interact between the part and the machining center – the operator or automated system loads and unloads the parts only in the workholding. Workholding can do more to positively impact the quality, cycle time, and overall cost to manufacture a part than any other single aspect of the process. It is the custom link connecting the part to everything else in the machining process.

The function of workholding is complex, and quality workholding is the key that allows the part to be:

• Loaded easily and properly
• Positioned accurately in a repeatable manner
• Held securely without distortion
• Available to cutting tools without restriction
• Presented properly to the spindle without interference
• Machined aggressively without damaging harmonics
• Unloaded easily

Which comes first?

Many times manufacturers select the machine and tooling before considering the workholding, and this can be a costly mistake. Workholding providers often discover that the size and functions of pre-selected machines and tooling impede the overall success of the project. A workholding strategy should be developed in conjunction with machine tool and cutting tool selection to ensure productive results. This way the success of the workholding will be optimal, providing a flawless part with every cycle.

Well-executed workholding is about enabling the best process and finding the right balance of all considerations: operator, tooling, machine tool, part quality, productivity, and cost. Workholding is what facilitates the interaction of the part with all of the other elements in the process and should be considered the building block upon which all other factors rest. This will ensure the production of precision parts without machine and tooling snags related to workholding. If there are difficulties with production, machines and tooling can be adjusted if the right foundation of custom workholding is put in place first.

Master WorkHolding Inc.
www.masterworkholding.com

About the author: Mike Powell is the president of Master WorkHolding Inc. in North Carolina. He can be reached at mike@masterworkholding.com.