Manufacturing Knowledge Base

Workholding includes any device used to grip and present a workpiece to a cutting tool on a machine tool.

To provide an understanding of workholding as a fundamental issue in the machining process, this Workholding program examines the principles of workholding, milling & machining center workholding, and lathe workholding.

The Principles of Workholding segment covers datums, part location, the six degrees of freedom, the 3-2-1 locational method, and issues of reclamping or rechucking workpieces.

The Milling & Machining Center Workholding segment looks at small-lot, medium-lot, and mass-production workholding options while detailing the use of clamps, vises, multi-vises, cubes, columns, tombstones, indexers, rotary tables, modular fixturing, pallets, pneumatic clamping, hydraulic clamping, vacuum workholding, and application-dedicated fixtures.

The Lathe Workholding segment explores the use of 3-jaw chucks, 6-jaw chucks, 4-jaw chucks, 2-jaw chucks, indexing chucks, collets, collet chucks, between centers turning, drive dogs, face drivers, steady rests, and magnetic chucks and fixtures.