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Description
Gimbel’s AutoVise line provides the best value and precision in the automated workholding market. The AutoVise air-powered CNC vise line features 0.0008” repeatability, an all steel and stainless construction, and serrated adjustable jaws. Vises are rated to a quarter-million clamp cycles before rebuild maintenance is required, with many vises exceeding one-million cycles in-field. These vises are available in 75, 100, and 150mm size clamp-width. The two smaller vises feature 5mm of total actuation (2.5mm per jaw) while the 150mm AutoVise has 10mm of total stroke (5mm per jaw).
Unlike competing automatic vises and fixturing solutions, the included hardened serrated jaws remove the need for creating custom soft jaws for one-op automation. Instead, virtually all aluminum and unhardened steels can be machined directly in the included jaws for Op1. These jaws are also fully reversible for a variety of clamping sizes ranges. While the vise is self-centering, users can configure the jaws differently on either side of the vise for a full clamping range. Integrated springs inside the AutoVise also bring the clamping force in-line with traditional manual workholding systems. These springs also serve as a failsafe to ensure parts are not thrown in the rare case of pneumatic failure.
For users that are looking to pass air directly through the bottom of their vises, we offer the 75mm and 100mm AutoVises in a Rotary version, which features a base-plate passing the pneumatics directly through the bottom. These optional bases are available with 1.500 and 2.000” centering plates that make them widely compatible with 4th axis rotaries. We also offer the smallest and most universal Rotary Union on the market with 4 air ports, which is designed specifically for fourth and fifth axis applications.
Servicing kits and replacement parts are available.
Need a complete solution including workholding? Our GripFlipGrip Two Op Automation Module combines the QuickFlip Station with two of our AutoVises for one convenient automation system for integration with Gripper or Robotic automation.
Technical Specs & Downloads
Downloads
Technical Specs
| Technical Specs | |
|---|---|
| Actuation Type | Pneumatic (Air-Powered) |
| Jaw Width | 75mm || 3.0in |
| Jaw Stroke | 5.0mm || 0.20in |
| Inner Jaw Clamp Range | 8.5 – 47mm || 0.34 - 1.85in |
| Outer Jaw Clamp Range | 87 – 152.4mm || 3.43 – 1.85in |
| Repeatability | 0.02mm || 0.0008in |
| Clamping Force | 900 - 2500lbf (psi-dependent) |
| Pressure Range | 50 – 130psi |
| Weight | 9 kg || 20lbs |
Thanks to its Spring-Driven design, this vise provides 50% of its clamping force when all air pressure is lost
FAQs
Pneumatic Vises, also known as CNC Pneumatic Vises, Air Vises, or Precision Pneumatic Self Centering Vises, are an automated form of workholding used to hold workpieces during the machining process. The machining process requires precise, repeatable, and incredibly rigid holding capacity to hold a wide variety of parts.
The biggest benefit of Pneumatic CNC Vises is how easy they are to automate. Automated Machine Tending solutions typically already have a wide array of solenoids and air control, so Pneumatic Vises are the go-to choice in CNC Machine Tending Automation systems. In addition to customers using our Pneumatic Self-Centering Air Vises for Spindle Gripper Machine Tending Automation Systems, we also have countless customers using these vises with cobot systems, robot systems, machine cells, and even to streamline manual loading.
These air vises have fully-adjustable clamping force, and are easily adjusted by simply regulating the inlet air supply on the “Clamp” air inlet on the vise. Refer to the Spec-Sheet in the Downloads section of this page for a graph showing how air pressure is linearly correlated with clamping force.
The biggest single advantage of Pneumatic Vises over traditional workholding is how quickly they can be clamped and unclamped. With the flip of a switch, parts can be instantly clamped and unclamped with near-perfect repeatability. Another huge advantage is that, unlike human operators tightening regular vises, Pneumatic Vises clamp with the same clamping force every single cycle.
Gimbel Automation Self-Centering Air Vises have two key differences from other solutions on the market: (1) our Self-Centering Air Vises have an all-steel construction, and (2) the moving top of our air vises is fully serrated, enabling the hard jaws with matching serrations to be adjusted to any size in a few seconds. This means that there is no need for you to buy and machine unique soft jaws for each part you manufacture for your first operation. Instead, use the adjustable hard jaws for your first operation and machine second jaws only for second-op workholding as you need them.
