Allmatic is expanding its tombstone portfolio with the WorkBuddy clamping aid for safe, ergonomic and efficient set-up
Set-up time plays an important role in production: expensive processing machines have to be rapidly retooled and workpieces clamped for processing to minimise downtimes. The clamping of workpieces is key in this process – and what Allmatic-Jakob Spannsysteme specialises in. The manufacturer has now added the WorkBuddy to its clamping system of tombstones. The electronic clamping aid speeds up the loading of tombstones during work preparation and enables ergonomic work that is gentle on the joints. Unwieldy torque wrenches and incorrect tightening torques are now a thing of the past.
Clamping systems are among the most important machine elements for machining centres: a CNC machine can only work quickly and efficiently if workpieces are securely fitted and support the machining process. The fast and reliable clamping of workpieces is essential to ensuring that cost-intensive machine tools are economically efficient. Clamping is generally done using a torque wrench or hand crank inside the machine itself or at an external set-up station. One major disadvantage of this method is the awkward handling – often above head height. This results in physical strain and a loss of working hours, which puts a financial burden on companies. Allmatic has now found a convincing solution for these kinds of clamping processes in work preparation (WP): the WorkBuddy. The WorkBuddy is an addition to the South German manufacturer’s clamping system.
Ergonomic and efficient set-up
The WorkBuddy was developed by Allmatic and has already been used successfully for a long time in the company’s own production for mechanical workpiece clamping. It is mounted on the machine or the set-up station with an easy-to-operate guiding arm. The central tool is an electric torque screwdriver, which is fully adjustable with torques of
20-40 Nm. Thanks to the Allmatic power assist in the tombstones, these torques are enough to achieve the maximum clamping forces (up to 80 kN depending on the type). All it takes is the light press of a rocker switch.
The exact clamping forces are applied once per vice model via a USB interface and called up during the clamping process. This ensures that each workpiece is fixed with the correct torque. All tombstones can currently be operated with Titan 2-/LC-/TC-/NC8- and DUO series spindles.
The maximum opening or clamping speed is 10 mm/s. This is defined by DIN EN 692 as the maximum permissible speed without additional measures for occupational safety. This guarantees short set-up times and minimum. At the same time, the WorkBuddy also relieves the strain on employees at the machine and enables ergonomic work.