Vises

Vises are an apparatus used to hold material in place so work can be done on it. Traditional vises were mechanical involving a screw, but modern industrial vises are often hydraulic. Standard vises have one stationary wall, and a second that moves to clamp the desired object in place. Industrial vises used for machining and other applications are often partially or fully automated and capable of moving along multiple axis as the vice maneuvers the part within a work station.

Vise Manufacturers

• Kurt Workholding: Manufacturer of the the industry leading Kurt Vises, offering an unmatched quality, versatility, and reliability of vises within the industrial market. Kurt offers complete vise solutions, including multi-axis vises as well as vice replacement parts. In addition to it's world class vices, Kurt Workholding offers vice replacement parts and complete workholding solutions.

Multi-Axis Vises

This video of a Schenke 5 Axis Vise demonstrates how an automated industrial vise can be used to increase productivity and efficiency. These industrial vises are very different from the mechanical jaw and screw vises that people are used to seeing mounted on the edge of a workbench, and this video conveys exactly how these industrial vises can be used in modern machining operations.

Vise Jaws

A significant component of vises are vise jaws, and the material used in the construction of vise jaws significantly changes the gripping properties of the vises. In broad terms, vise jaws have a combination of two of four general properties:

• Hard vise jaws
• Soft vise jaws
• Rough vise jaws
• Smooth vise jaws

Vise jaws are first either hard or soft. A hard jaw vises are made from a hard metal, commonly cast iron or even stainless steel. Hard jaw vises are designed to be capable of delivering maximum force to the object being clamped, and are often used for extremely heavy items, typically in metal machining. Soft jaw vices can be made from aluminum, plastic, or even wood -- but with industrial vises aluminum is the most common soft jaw vise material. Soft jaw vises are used for holding more delicate material or the material of the vise jaw itself is cut into shape to hold specifically shaped workpieces. Unlike hard jaws, soft jaws are considered a consumable item and eventually wear out. In addition to hard or soft, vise jaws are either rough or smooth. Rough vise jaws have the surface of the jaw coarsened or textured to provide a better gripping surface. Smooth jaw vises are ground flat. Smooth jaw vises increase accuracy, but relies on greater pressure for gripping, while rough jaw vises are able to grip with less pressure applied to the workpiece.