Deflection after release
A thin titanium wall or PEEK feature may measure differently once clamp load is removed. Plan support close to the cutting force and include a released-part check.
All applications
Medical CNC machining / small-part contact
Hold small medical parts without hiding clamp damage.
Titanium, stainless steel and PEEK parts can be thin, short and difficult to support. Start with the surfaces you may touch, then choose the jaws, support and inspection plan.
Common materialsTitanium · stainless steel · PEEK
Frequent risksThin-wall movement · marks · trapped burrs
Decision firstAllowed contact and released-part measurement
Start at the drawing
Mark the surfaces the fixture may touch before choosing a vise.
A small part offers little room for jaws, supports, cutters and gauges. The drawing should show protected faces, critical relationships and the condition in which each feature is inspected. That prevents a neat-looking setup from loading the wrong wall or covering an edge that still needs deburring.
Contact marks and embedded chips
A sharp jaw edge or one trapped chip can damage a finished surface. Define jaw material, contact width, cleaning method and the surface acceptance check.
Burr and gauge access
Leave room to inspect edges, remove burrs and reach the datum features. If the fixture hides these areas, the process needs a planned second position or another holding route.
Choose the contact method
Match the fixture to the part surface, not the industry label.
Part shape, wall stiffness and permitted contact decide the route. A product name alone cannot tell you whether the part will stay flat or come out without marks.
Route for small prismatic parts
Self-centering vise with part-shaped contact
A self-centering vise can keep a small prismatic blank near the spindle center as part width changes. For a finished or thin-wall part, the important work is in the jaw contact: soft jaws, pads or a custom nest must spread load without covering the cutter or gauge path.
- Use it when
- Two opposed faces can accept controlled contact and the part has enough stiffness near the grip.
- Check before release
- Grip depth, jaw edge condition, input torque or pressure, wall support, part movement after unclamping and any contact witness.
Route for open tool access
Prepared dovetail grip
- Use it when
- A sacrificial stock feature is allowed and five-side access matters more than avoiding grip preparation.
- Check first
- Dovetail geometry, remaining wall, pull-out risk, cutter approach and how the grip feature will be removed without damaging the finished part.
Route for process transfer
Dedicated carrier on a zero-point base
- Use it when
- A proven small-part fixture must move between setup, machining or inspection while keeping one carrier datum.
- Check first
- Added stack height, complete interface drawings, fixture support, cleaning access and the measurement method used after each transfer.
First-piece evidence
Inspect what the clamp can change.
Use the drawing and quality plan to choose the checks. Keep the fixture revision, jaw revision and result together so the evidence follows the setup.
Record the free-state part
Before cutting, inspect the incoming blank, protected surfaces and key free-state dimensions. Photograph unusual contact areas and note any existing marks or burrs.
Prove contact and support
Load a real part or representative blank. Check full seating, jaw contact, support location, tool clearance and whether the loading method can trap a chip.
Measure after unclamping
Inspect critical dimensions and form after release, not only in the fixture. Repeat the load and release cycle enough times for the customer’s sampling plan.
Close burr, cleaning and records
Confirm edge access, the agreed cleaning state, part identification and the inspection record required at handoff. These needs can change jaw material and fixture access.
Drawing review
Send the quality constraints with the geometry.
Mark contact zones
Identify faces that may be clamped, faces that must stay mark-free and features that must remain open for tools or gauges.
Describe the process state
State whether the part is rough, semi-finished or finished when loaded, plus the material, previous operation and next inspection step.
Define acceptance evidence
List the released-part dimensions, surface check, burr check, cleaning state and traceability record needed before the fixture is approved.
Medical workholding FAQ
Questions buyers ask before the first fixture trial.
01How can a thin-wall titanium part be held without visible clamp marks?
Start with the surfaces that may be touched. Use broad, part-shaped contact where possible, support the wall near the cutting load, and control the clamping input. Inspect the contact area and measure the part again after release because a dimension taken only while clamped can hide elastic movement.
02What changes when the workpiece is PEEK rather than metal?
PEEK is less stiff than titanium or stainless steel and is more sensitive to point load and heat. Use wider contact, avoid sharp jaw edges, limit unsupported length, and review coolant, cleaning and drying conditions against the customer's process. Confirm the setup with an actual part or representative blank.
03How should burr control and first-piece inspection be included in fixture approval?
Check whether the jaws or supports block deburring and edge inspection. On the first piece, inspect critical edges and protected surfaces, then measure key features after unclamping. Record the fixture, jaw and program revision so a later result can be traced to the setup that produced it.
04What cleaning and traceability information should be sent with the drawing?
State the required incoming and outgoing cleanliness condition, restricted contact materials, approved cleaning method, protected surfaces, part identification method and inspection record needed. NEXTAS can use those inputs to shape the workholding proposal, while the customer remains responsible for its regulatory and quality-system approval.
Start with one real part
Send a drawing for a clamp-contact review.
Mark the protected surfaces and tell us how the released part will be inspected. NEXTAS will compare the practical holding routes.