POSITIONING
ALL IN THE
POSITIONING
Often taken for granted, positioning and
workholding components have never been more
vital as the world’s engineering requirements
increase. Marcus Schneck, CEO of norelem,
takes a look at the optimal techniques and
technologies – and what the future holds.
Engineering is all about
accuracy. Repeatability.
Reliability. Every hour,
every day, global industry is
at work producing billons of
products, and they all need
to be made to the strictest
specifications, within the
tightest tolerances, and with
the highest levels of attention
to detail and quality – not to
mention efficiency and safety.
None of this would
be possible without the
components that make
workholding and positioning
workpieces a reality. That’s
why these components
are so crucial. It’s why
workholding – even though
it seems relatively small and
insignificant – can play the
biggest role in the success of
an engineering enterprise.
However, one of the tenets
held close by engineers is that
of continuous improvement.
There’s always a way to do
something better. And, quite
often, the key to achieving
this improvement can be
found in the techniques
and technologies used for
workholding. So, let’s take a
look at why this is so, along
with some of the critical
components available, so
that we can engineer our
products more accurately and
efficiently, for a better future
for everyone.
TAKING A BENEFICIAL
POSITION
The two main aspects of
engineering impacted by
workholding and positioning
are, as ever, accuracy and
efficiency – with the tangible
outcomes of greater quality
and consistency, and a more
cost-effective operation.
In terms of quality, the
impact of workholding and
positioning goes far beyond
simply fixing workpieces in
place. The machinery we use
is only as good as its weakest
link. So, when your task is to
work to intricate, complex
designs, the quality of the
output rests largely on the
quality of the fixing elements.
Even the smallest deviation
can have a big effect on the
finished product.
On our other point
– efficiency and costeffectiveness
– workholding
and positioning again have a
surprisingly major effect. Yes,
fixing workpieces in place
consistently means faster
production rates. But it also
means a quicker, smoother
turnaround process when it
comes to replacing machine
parts, by allowing worn
components to be replaced
without problems or knockon
effects for subsequent
production steps.
Beyond these two
overarching benefits, different
positioning products and
workholding components
also carry their own distinct
advantages for specific
applications. So, let’s take a
quick look at a few examples.
CHOOSING A POSITION ON
POSITIONING
There is a vast array of
positioning elements
available. As with any aspect
of engineering, selecting
a positioning, clamping or
workholding solution should
be considered in line with
the requirements of the
application.
Locating (or indexing)
pins, for example, are a classic
positioning element, ideal for
setting up assembly devices
or for fine-tuning components
in machine tools. Ball-lock
pins present another option
for connecting and fixing
workpieces and components,
using a ball-locking
mechanism and simple pushbutton
operation to ensure a
stable, secure and self-locking
solution.
Spring-loaded thrust
pads, meanwhile, are
another positioning element
commonly used in machine
and tool construction. The
26 Issue 4 2020