| 6061 aluminum |
A wrought aluminum alloy containing small percentages of silicon, copper, magnesium, and chromium. |
| aluminum |
A silvery white metal that is soft, light, and has a high strength-to-weight ratio. |
| aluminum tooling plates |
A pre-formed tooling material made of aluminum that is ground to highly accurate dimensions. |
| brace |
A device that steadies or supports other components. |
| built-up fixture bodies |
A fixture body created by adding components to a standard tooling plate. The pieces are assembled with dowels and pins and are used for precision machining operations, inspection, and some assembly tools. |
| cast aluminum |
Aluminum that is fabricated by allowing it to cool in a mold. |
| cast bracket |
Brackets available in cast iron and cast aluminum in lengths of 25 in. (63.5 cm). They are designed as structural elements of a workholding device. |
| cast fixture bodies |
A fixture body that is produced as a casting. Cast fixture bodies provide excellent dimensional stability and vibration dampening. They are used for permanent workholding devices that will not be drastically changed. |
| cast iron |
A type of steel that is formed into its final shape from the molten state. It contains at least two percent carbon, as well as percentages of silicon and sulfur. |
| chuck |
A device that holds a workpiece in place as it rotates. The chuck commonly has three or four jaws that can be adjusted to fit various sizes. |
| clamping |
In workholding, the operation which holds the workpiece against the locators. Clamping resists secondary tool forces. |
| collet |
A slitted device that holds a workpiece in place as it rotates. A collet has a hole through which the workpiece passes, and it is designed to hold specific dimensions. |
| doweled |
Held together by small metal rods called dowels. |
| fixture |
A workholding device used on machine tools to position and hold a part during various machining operations. |
| fixture body |
The foundation of the workholding device. Various components, such as locators and clamps, are fastened to the fixture body to create a custom workholding device. |
| inertia |
The tendency of a body to move in a straight line or remain at rest. On a machining center, it is very difficult to overcome the inertia of large workpieces. |
| locating |
In workholding, the process of positioning the workpiece in a designated location. Locating is also used to describe a step in the process that corresponds to positioning the workpiece in the horizontal plane. |
| mechanical fastener |
A fastener that is held in place by force. A screw or bolt is a mechanical fastener. |
| precision ground materials |
Stock that is finished by very accurate grinding. |
| rib |
A structural component that provides shape and support. |
| steel |
A metal consisting of iron and carbon, usuallly with small amounts of manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, and silicon as well. |
| structural sections |
A pre-formed tooling material made of steel, aluminum, or magnesium that is available in standard shapes and is used to save weight. |
| subassemblies |
Semi-assembled pieces that will be attached to a larger piece in another assembly operation. |
| supporting |
The process of locating from underneath the workpiece. Supports generally restrict motion down along the Z-axis. |
| tool steel |
A type of steel designed with high wear resistance, toughness, and strength. |
| vise |
A workholding device with one fixed jaw and one moveable jaw. Vises are often used to hold simple rectangular or cubic workpieces on a mill or machining center. |
| web |
A structural component providing support through its web-like pattern of sections. |
| welded fixture bodies |
A fixture body that is created by welding pieces together. They are used for roughing rather than finishing operations. Welded fixture bodies run the risk of heat distortion during welding. |