A clamping device includes a clamping chuck and a clamping element, which can be clamped thereto. The clamping chuck has a receiving opening for the clamping element and clamping members for clamping the clamping element in the receiving opening. The clamping element is elongated, while the clamping chuck is provided with an elongated receiving opening for the clamping element. A resiliently flexible centering element, which aligns the clamping element in response to the insertion into the receiving opening at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the receiving opening, is arranged on the clamping chuck in the insertion area of the receiving opening. Such a clamping device is suitable in clamping systems by means of which large to very large workpiece carriers can be clamped in the work area of a machine tool in a repeatably accurate manner.

A clamp for retaining a workpiece onto a fixture whereby the method of connecting the clamp to the fixture provides for a simultaneous combination of both horizontal and vertical clamping forces against the workpiece without locating any portion of the clamp above the upper surface of the workpiece.

A holding apparatus/workpiece adapter apparatus arrangement includes a holding apparatus and a workpiece adapter apparatus. The workpiece adapter apparatus is positioned and fixed, with a workpiece fastened thereto, by the holding apparatus. The holding apparatus has partially cylindrical positioning elements, which engage in an associated cylindrical positioning recess and a positioning slot and position the workpiece adapter apparatus in an x and a y direction. The workpiece adapter apparatus bears by mating contact surfaces against contact surfaces of the holding apparatus and is clamped by linearly displaceable clamping elements and pressed against the contact surfaces, and thus positioned in a z direction. For clamping, clamping surfaces of the clamping elements bear against mating clamping surfaces of the workpiece adapter apparatus.

A modular fixture plate system includes fixture plates and docking stations for securing the fixture plates to a worksurface. Fixture plates include recessed corners for receiving keystones. A keystone may be used as a docking station in addition to or instead of a corresponding rail system. Fixture plates include magnets for providing a secure attachment to keystones, rails and other fixture plates to allow for rapid loading of parts and plates on any CMM or manufacturing system. Fixture plates are designed to be stacked multiple wide to fill the table and maximize coverage of a work surface. The keystone design allows a user to create L configurations or T configurations of plates from a single docking location.

A mounting system having a dual plunger arrangement wherein the side of each plunger has a pull down cam to provide a desired pull down action in relation to at least two studs, the cams moving relative to one another and axially aligning relative to one another relative to the two axially spaced pull down studs to allow the plungers to provide a maximum hold down force for the two pull down studs, balance the hold down forces thereby maximizing performance and reducing unlocking forces.

A workholding apparatus for components having complex geometries or surfaces, which components are difficult constrain for the purpose of inspection, addresses the problem of adequately constraining such components in a convenient and cost-effective manner so that they do not move during inspection, while also making all or most critical features accessible to the inspection instruments being used. A method teaches how to eliminate setup changes between different components through the use of inexpensive modular attachments. These attachments are in the form of a single piece thermoplastic part which is affixed to each component having also reference features that can be interlocked into a common base fixture for more efficient inspection operations.

A mounting system having a dual plunger arrangement wherein the side of each plunger has a pull down cam to provide a desired pull down action in relation to at least two studs, the cams moving relative to one another and axially aligning relative to one another relative to the two axially spaced pull down studs to allow the plungers to provide a maximum hold down force for the two pull down studs, balance the hold down forces thereby maximizing performance and reducing unlocking forces.

A workholding apparatus for components having complex geometries or surfaces, which components are difficult constrain for the purpose of inspection, addresses the problem of adequately constraining such components in a convenient and cost-effective manner so that they do not move during inspection, while also making all or most critical features accessible to the inspection instruments being used. A method teaches how to eliminate setup changes between different components through the use of inexpensive modular attachments. These attachments are in the form of a single piece thermoplastic part which is affixed to each component having also reference features that can be interlocked into a common base fixture for more efficient inspection operations.

A fastener comprises a housing, a socket, a pintle and a locking feature. The housing includes a shaft, a central bore that extends axially at least partially through the housing and a ball lock aperture extending from the bore. The socket extends into the housing adjacent to the first end face, and is configured such that rotation of the first socket rotates the fastener. The pintle is positioned within the bore and includes an actuation end and a rod that extends axially from the actuation end. The rod includes a ball transitioning surface and a ball locking surface. The pintle is moveable axially within the bore between a designated lock position where the ball locking surface of the pintle is aligned in register with each ball lock aperture, and a designated unlocked position where the ball lock surface of the pintle is moved axially away from each ball lock aperture.

An interchangeable carrier system, in particular for workstations for producing components for exhaust systems of internal combustion engines, includes a base unit and a carrier unit, which is to be releasably fixed to the base unit in a working position, wherein a coupling/fixing arrangement is provided on the base unit and a counterpart coupling/fixing arrangement, which can be brought into positive coupling engagement with the coupling/fixing arrangement during a sliding movement of the carrier unit in a sliding movement direction into the working position, is provided on the carrier unit, and wherein, when the carrier unit is positioned in the working position, the carrier unit can be fixed with respect to the base unit by the coupling/fixing arrangement.