A method of gripping a substantially planar workpiece while providing compensation for variations in thickness is described. During the process, the workpiece is overdriven into a clamping member before clamping force is applied, and the positions of the clamping member before and after application of the clamping force are measured. These measurements are then used to control a compensating movement of the tooling table and optionally a final lift of the conveyance rails.

A gripping device for a panel of a section of a fuselage of an aircraft, the panel including a skin and having an arcuate shape about a longitudinal axis X. The gripping device includes two gripping subsystems arranged at a distance from one another parallel to the longitudinal axis X, and each gripping subsystem includes a central element fastened to the panel, and two lateral elements fastened on either side of the central element by fasteners, and each lateral element includes pressurizers which come against the skin to apply a tension thereto in the opening direction of the arcuate shape. Such a gripping device makes it possible to ensure the shape of the panel when it is transported and until it is fastened to other panels in order to produce the section of the fuselage.

The present disclosure is related to a hold-down for a cable tray. The hold-down may be configured for high-wind situations. The hold-down includes a support clamp for clamping onto a support, and a hold-down arm for holding the cable tray on the support.

A clamp mount and workpiece alignment apparatus is provided. Clamp including a workpiece alignment apparatus is provided. A method of clamping is provided. The clamp mount and workpiece alignment apparatus is used to mount to a support surface of a workpiece support and for positioning at least one workpiece relative to the clamp while the workpiece is supported on the support surface is provided. The apparatus includes a base, a base mount, a workpiece alignment guide, a clamp mount and an adjustable interface between the base and workpiece alignment guide.

Attachments for a clamping device can be used to increase the contact area between the jaws and the object to allow the clamping device to handle irregular objects, such as non-flat panels of metal, granite, ceramic, glass, quartz, or concrete plates. The attachments can include plate assemblies to be attached to the sides of the irregular objects. The attachments can include jaw plate assemblies to be attached to the sides of the jaws of the clamping device.

A method of gripping a substantially planar workpiece while providing compensation for variations in thickness is described. During the process, the workpiece is overdriven into a clamping member before clamping force is applied, and the positions of the clamping member before and after application of the clamping force are measured. These measurements are then used to control a compensating movement of the tooling table and optionally a final lift of the conveyance rails.

A readjustment device and a method for a machine tool process plate-shaped workpieces. The readjustment device contains an upper pressure-exerting device, which at least contains pressure plungers which are oriented at a spacing to one another, and a lower supporting device, which at least has counter-bearings which are arranged at a spacing to one another and which, in a working position, are oriented so as to fix the plate-like workpiece in a clamping manner with respect to the pressure plungers of the upper pressure-exerting device. The pressure plungers of the upper pressure-exerting device can be transferred from a rest position to the working position by a drive device. The pressure plungers of the upper pressure-exerting device are being coupled to one another and are controlled so as to be movable or pivotable together between the rest position and the working position.

The present disclosure is related to a hold-down for a cable tray. The hold-down may be configured for high-wind situations. The hold-down includes a support clamp for clamping onto a support, and a hold-down arm for holding the cable tray on the support.

Magnetic coupling devices are disclosed having magnetic field sensors. The magnetic coupling device may include degaussing coils wrapped about pole extension shoes of the magnetic coupling device.

A splicing structure, a splicing table, and a splicing and fitting device are provided. The splicing structure includes: a splicing adjustment component, a splicing alignment component, and a splicing base. The splicing adjustment component and the splicing alignment component are connected to the splicing base; and the splicing adjustment component is configured to support at least two to-be-spliced pieces; the splicing alignment component is configured to align the at least two to-be-spliced pieces to a first reference site. The splicing adjustment component is further configured to drive at least one of two adjacent to-be-spliced pieces in the at least two to-be-spliced pieces to move relative to the first reference site, to enable the two adjacent to-be-spliced pieces to be close to or far away from each other.