Published 11/18/2021

Schunk's Automated Vise Offers Chip-Repellent Design

The Tandem PGS3’s compact design and square shape optimizes accessibility and enables a stroke of 6 mm per jaw. With a clamping force of 4,500 N and a repeat accuracy of 0.02 mm, the vise is said to be suitable for basic applications in aluminum and plastics machining.

Edited by: Chris Pasion

Managing Editor, Modern Machine Shop | Production Machining

A hard anodized body prevents permanent retention of chips. 0.02 mm repeat accuracy means precise clamping of workpieces. The Tandem PGS3 is the pneumatic vise for entry into automated machine loading. Photo Credit: Schunk

The Schunk Tandem PGS3 vise is the company’s newest offering designed for the automated manufacturing industry.

The pneumatically operated clamping force block, Schunk Tandem PGS3-LH 100, can be directly mounted on machine tables, dividing heads or Vero-S NSL 150 clamping stations of machining centers via an integrated flange. According to Schunk, its compact design and square shape optimizes accessibility and enables a stroke of 6 mm per jaw. With a clamping force of 4,500 N and a repeat accuracy of 0.02 mm, the Schunk Tandem PGS3 is said to be suitable for basic applications in aluminum and plastics machining.

Special quality features of the vise are its chip-repellent design, surface-treated components in the force flow and long base jaw guides that prevent the chuck jaws from buckling under load. The vise can be equipped with all standard top jaws with tongue and groove (KTR, KTR-H) chuck jaws from Schunk. With lateral air connections and built-in keyways on the bottom, the vise comes ready for installation in any machine tool.

Schunk says the PGS3 and the Vero-S pallet system are an ideal combo to achieve automated workpiece clamping and quicker setup changeover. The quick-change system can reportedly reduce setup times down to seconds. Additionally, by having Vero-S on multiple machines, workholding such as the PGS3 can be moved to different processes across the production facility.

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