Clamping without pressure

Thin-walled workpieces are particularly sensitive to deformation during machining and require a special clamping system. The innovative hybrid clamping jaw Inotop from HWR Spanntechnik uses the principle of the "fixed counter bearing": Components that are sensitive to deformation are only centered in the conventional chuck with INOTop without external pressure via the chuck function and then clamped from the inside. This prevents undesirable polygon formation in the clamping process, making expensive special clamping solutions unnecessary.

The INOTop clamping system can be used on almost any existing chuck with a diameter of 260 mm or more, regardless of the jaw connection. The clamping process takes place without pressure, there is no deformation. The highest roundness can be achieved with INOTop® during machining, and thin-walled components in particular are clamped without polygons. INOTop® is also inexpensive to purchase.

Clamping with a fixed counter bearing - this is how it works

During conventional clamping, the clamping pressure is introduced into the workpiece via the clamping points. Especially with components with thin walls, the clamping pressure has a major impact on the geometry of the workpiece: it can deform, the result is unsatisfactory or even rejected.

HWR is taking a different approach with the INOTop hybrid clamping jaw: here the chuck is only used to center the workpiece, not for the clamping process itself. In this way, the clamping pressure can be reduced to such an extent that after the workpiece has been centered, no further clamping pressure is introduced into the workpiece itself. The movable gripper jaw is then pulled from the inside against the centering - the fixed counter bearing - by manually operating the spindle in the INOTop jaw: the clamping takes place without affecting the workpiece geometry, but the component is still perfectly clamped and ready for machining.

INOLine for the best results

HWR developed the INOLine product family, which also includes INOTop, primarily with a view to modern machine tools in turning and milling. With INOLine clamping systems, cubic and round workpieces can be clamped safely and precisely. The innovative clamping devices show their full strength with components that are shape-sensitive or have thin walls - excellent results can be achieved here that would not be possible with conventional clamping technology.