New vise jaw product

[Janger]

I came across this new type of soft jaw which is adjustable - the Norgren Adaptix soft jaw. I thought this was a very interesting product. For a job shop wth low part runs I think this could save a lot of time designing and milling soft jaws. Unfortunately for home use it is out of reach - apparently $5995 USD. I'm thinking could I make one of these? Maybe something similar but simpler without replaceable jaw tips.

https://cdn.norgren.com/pdf/z9892WP_Adaptix_Whitepaper_EN_LR.pdf

 

[Susquatch]

Unfortunately for home use it is out of reach - apparently $5995 USD. I'm thinking could I make one of these? Maybe something similar but simpler without replaceable jaw tips.

https://cdn.norgren.com/pdf/z9892WP_Adaptix_Whitepaper_EN_LR.pdf

I'll be following your thread on this idea John. Very very interesting! Please keep us posted.

 

[Six O Two]

Oof. That is spendy! But it definitely ticks the boxes on the 'cool factor' front.

For those of us on a budget...

Fractal Vise by TeachingTech

A 3D printed fractal vise inspired by the original seen on a Hand Tool Rescue video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBeOgGt_oWUI wanted to make my own version that was:FunctionalFully constrainedPrinted without support materialUsed minimal filamentOpen sourceIt works...

www.thingiverse.com

 

[Janger]

Oof. That is spendy! But it definitely ticks the boxes on the 'cool factor' front.

For those of us on a budget...

Fractal Vise by TeachingTech

A 3D printed fractal vise inspired by the original seen on a Hand Tool Rescue video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBeOgGt_oWUI wanted to make my own version that was:FunctionalFully constrainedPrinted without support materialUsed minimal filamentOpen sourceIt works...

www.thingiverse.com

I was trying to find the post on that fractal vise but couldn't locate it. Searching on "vise" was a waste of time. and then I tried mandelbrot vise no luck there. Fractal! that's the word. That one is very cool but I can't imagine milling anything with it. Maybe if it was printed solid out of a high strength material - carbon fibre? Imagine how many spools you would need at $50 or $100 a spool. I think it would need to be made of steel realistically.

I've asked Thomas Skinner how much that norgren vise jaw is. We will see but I can't imagine it being affordable. So I'm imagining a sandwich pack of aluminium 0.25" thick 2" by 4" jaws. 24 on each side. bolted together. I'll post some musings...

 

[Janger]

Turns out Norgen the manufacturer has detailed CAD models on their web site. Hiding inside are some very sophisticated parts. The mechanism to hold all the vise fingers tight has some sliding angled bits. It has to hold all the fingers tight and also hold them tight against the side of the vise sled. below you can see this mechanism with parts hidden on the right, the same view on the left showing the vise sled and vise fingers, and below some of the insides of the sliding angle part. I don't understand it. inside there is a cone that has threads and somehow is connected to mvoe the sliding angled part?

$6K does not seem so unreasonable to me now - this must have taken a lot of design and testing work to get it working well. I wonder what it cost them to develop?

 

[Janger]

Anyone interested on this page you can download the cad models.

Norgren

Norgren is a world leader in motion and fluid control technologies, delivering exceptional solutions which improve our customers' equipment.

www.norgrenworkholding.com

 

[Janger]

Here is my first naive attempt. This is fun to work on.

 

[Dabbler]

@Janger I think you are referring to this video:

 

[Everett]

Now that IS a cool idea! But yeah, reverse engineering something like that would certainly take some time. Like you say, the 6 grand starts making more sense.

 

[Six O Two]

... I can't imagine milling anything with it. Maybe if it was printed solid out of a high strength material - carbon fibre? Imagine how many spools you would need at $50 or $100 a spool. I think it would need to be made of steel realistically.

Funny, one of the comments on the thingiverse site mentioned filling in the plastic voids left by infill with epoxy to make the part stronger.

I'm not sure the 3d printed vise itself would be strong enough, but if one could use those parts as a starting off point, lop off the vise portion, and then have the fractal jaw mechanism somehow tie into a machine vise for support, maybe they'd be strong enough? Probably would depend on what material you're milling. I admit my knowledge of the forces involved and the strength of printed parts is not that deep.

This is a neat detail on the jaws. I like the step for a built in parallel.

Looks like a steel pin that they're placing into a hole in the aluminum jaw ends.

Hmm, actually -- looks like you have the choice of steel or aluminum for the pin. Yup, lots going on in that vise.

I look forward to seeing where your design ends up, @Janger !

 

[Janger]

I started looking at the bottom - see the details in the fingers. Springs and dove tails.

 

[Hacker]

I started looking at the bottom - see the details in the fingers. Springs and dove tails.


View attachment 23041

View attachment 23042

You are much braver then I am and I will be following and cheering you on. I saw the video that Dabbler posted awhile back and thought it would be great to try and build one. Several hours of poking around the internet I came to the conclusion that with my skill level this could be a life time of work.

 

[RobinHood]

That sure is an unique design.

From their brochure, it looks like the Center section (that has their logo on it) is not adjustable. Probably to prevent uplifting of the movable sections, of which there are 6 on either side of the Center block.

The mechanism at the red locking knobs could be some sort of force multiplier and/or a locking system to allow the sections to slide and conform to the part once the vice is torqued down.

 

[Susquatch]

That sure is an unique design.

From their brochure, it looks like the Center section (that has their logo on it) is not adjustable. Probably to prevent uplifting of the movable sections, of which there are 6 on either side of the Center block.

The mechanism at the red locking knobs could be some sort of force multiplier and/or a locking system to allow the sections to slide and conform to the part once the vice is torqued down.

You might be right.

I had assumed all the conforming was done first, then locked in, and then the resulting conformed jaw was tightened down as an assembly. But I have not looked as closely as you guys. I just looked quick and made a bunch of probably dumb assumptions.

 

[Janger]

That sure is an unique design.

From their brochure, it looks like the Center section (that has their logo on it) is not adjustable. Probably to prevent uplifting of the movable sections, of which there are 6 on either side of the Center block.

The mechanism at the red locking knobs could be some sort of force multiplier and/or a locking system to allow the sections to slide and conform to the part once the vice is torqued down.

You are right Rudy. Look at this jaw sled with the fixed center. It seems to be one piece. @Alexander How long would you say this sled would take to machine? It's about 7" wide by 4" long and 3.5" tall. Needs operations on all 6 sides.

 

[Dabbler]

That is a cool piece. About 2 days to machine on a manual mill - perhaps less with the best cutters and work holding.

 

[Janger]

Two days each for the two vise sleds. A day for the fingers. Another day on the cross bar finger locking parts.
Another day for more stuff.
7 days * 8 hrs * $75hr = $4200

 

[DPittman]

Two days each for the two vise sleds. A day for the fingers. Another day on the cross bar finger locking parts.
Another day for more stuff.
7 days * 8 hrs * $75hr = $4200

Yes but if you make 10 or more of them surely you could cut that cost in half???! Hahaha just kidding even at $2500 it would still be out of my price range. But it sure is cool.

 

[Susquatch]

Two days each for the two vise sleds. A day for the fingers. Another day on the cross bar finger locking parts.
Another day for more stuff.
7 days * 8 hrs * $75hr = $4200

Way out of my price range too. Not buying one and not making one either.

For the few situations where I needed that kind of jaw flexibility, I simply made a pair of epoxy jaws. Just put the part between regular jaws make a close fitting box around the parts, line the box and the part with saran wrap, and pour the epoxy into the mold. Let it cure and then pull it apart.. The result is a pair of soft jaws that fit the vise and the part. There will be a few voids, but it will fit plenty good enough to withstand almost any working load I needed.

If an even tighter fit is needed, skip the saran wrap at the part and coat it with a release agent or shoe polish instead.

 

[Janger]

Way out of my price range too. Not buying one and not making one either.

For the few situations where I needed that kind of jaw flexibility, I simply made a pair of epoxy jaws. Just put the part between regular jaws make a close fitting box around the parts, line the box and the part with saran wrap, and pour the epoxy into the mold. Let it cure and then pull it apart.. The result is a pair of soft jaws that fit the vise and the part. There will be a few voids, but it will fit plenty good enough to withstand almost any working load I needed.

If an even tighter fit is needed, skip the saran wrap at the part and coat it with a release agent or shoe polish instead.

Interesting John - have you got a few pictures of that technique?