News

Why are the jaws of Piher clamps not parallel?

I have just purchased a Piher clamp, but I see that that the jaws are not 90° perpendicular to the bar. Some clamps I’ve used are perfectly parallel, is this a mistake?

All materials flex when pressure is applied to them. As the clamp is used and pressure is applied to it, the angle of alignment of the jaws will increase because of this flexing. When Piher manufactures their clamps and determines the position of the jaws, this deflection must be accounted and compensated for.
To compensate for this bending of the material, when aligning the clamping jaws, we apply the “compensation angle”, i.e. the margin that corrects the potential bending of the material due to the pressure and ensures that the tool functions correctly, maintaining constant pressure and perfect clamping. In the Piher laboratory, we calculate that the parallelism between the jaws is close to the bending limit to prevent the workpiece being ejected from the clamp under pressure. By doing this, the clamping capacity is guaranteed for the life of the clamp.

If we do not use this compensation angle when manufacturing the clamping jaws, the final angle, when in use, will be greater than 90º. Why is this a problem?

If the angle is greater than 90º, the clamped pieces will tend to be pushed out of the clamp under pressure. If the alignment angle of the jaws is kept at less than 90º the clamped material will remain fixed. We can say that there is a rule that for the clamp to work correctly, the alignment of the jaws must be =90º.

What angle of compensation does PIHER use?

Piher applies a compensation angle of approximately 1°. In other words, the jaws are aligned with the bar at approximately 89º.

Has this angle always been used?

Yes, and not only by Piher. Any manufacturer of quality clamps must apply this angle.

Does this also apply to clamps with swivel pads?

Both the piston clamps and the classic clamps with swivel pads include this angle compensation in their jaws. However, the fact that the latter has a tilting pad influences the application of the =90° rule for better clamping. As the pad tilts, the final clamping angle is not necessarily the same as that of the jaws. Therefore, when clamping parts that are not exactly parallel, the final clamping angle will not be correct, and the clamp may move or come off completely.
In addition, the swivel pad rotates against the material when pressure is applied, causing the piece to move. With the Piher piston system, there’s no twisting at all.
The Piher piston system ensures the piston that applies the pressure exactly copies the angle of the movable jaw and, together with the angle of the fixed jaw, reaches the =90º rule. This angle allows us to set the clamp at the exact point where we want to apply pressure, both on parallel and inclined surfaces, even on rounded surfaces.

CP Tooling & Machinery Ltd. was set up by Colin Peacock and Ian Small to offer advice, standard and bespoke, innovative tooling design and manufacture to help joinery companies and the panel processing industry save time and money.

Piher Swivel Handle

One of the most distinctive features of the Piher Maxipress clamp is its’ ergonomic folding handle. It may seem simple, but the most interesting engineering is in the detail.

How is this handle different from any other swivel handle?

The most prominent thing about its’ design is the thick steel shaft that extends along the entire core of the handle. This shaft distributes the force evenly. Other systems with shorter shafts bear the force in much smaller areas and end up becoming loose or simply breaking.
The steel core, together with the spring that positions it inside, gives Piher clamps a property that is also unique in a swivel handle: this handle is interchangeable.

Why is the Piher handle mono-material and not bi-material?

It is very common to see other brands using two materials in their handles to increase the grip and make them look more attractive.
These two materials are usually a plastic base (PA or PP), with rubbery outer surfaces made of thermoplastic material (TPR or TPE). It is very common to see other brands introducing materials such as rubber to increase the grip on their handles.

But we rule out the use of two materials for these reasons:

The grip is greatly improved with a good ergonomic design, in our case making it swivel. Fixed handles on clamps can cause wrist injuries when trying to apply high pressure. The swivel handle also makes applying pressure in a much more natural and relaxed way.
Thermoplastic material areas end up degrading. Chemical products such as oils, solvents, acids or high temperatures can attack and break them down easily. In addition, cleaning them is much more complicated.
That is why Piher use a technical plastic such as nylon with fiberglass (PA+FV). With this combination of materials and its’ design we ensure greater sturdiness, durability and ergonomics. We also reduce the impact on the environment by extending its useful life and by not mixing different types of plastic in a single piece so that it is easily recyclable.

The durability of the handle is a key property. By having a handle that can easily be replaced, it significantly improves the longevity of the Piher clamp.

Based on the original design for the Maxipress clamp, we have implemented the handle in the new smaller models that we have recently manufactured: the Maxipress E and the Maxipress M. They all use the same steel core.

This handle has become a flagship of our brand. Given its effectiveness and improved design, we have added it to other clamping tools that we have been designing for hole tables such as the TCP piston clamp, the TCS clamp and the TS bolts.

Speed System Planer Heads

By using the new helical ‘Speed System’ heads from CP Tooling & Machinery Ltd. it is possible to achieve ‘finish’ planing results, even at high feed rates. The advantages of these new planing heads include:

Cutterheads use standard, 4 sided, 15x15x2.5 HW inserts.
Heads constructed in light alloy – Ergal.
Six cutting points achieve optimum chip evacuation and significant material removal.
Maximum rotation speed 10,000 RPM and feed rates up to 30 meters/min.
Extensive range, with fast deliveries from 100mm diameter up to 140mm. Cut lengths from 100mm up to 280mm.

NEW Klein® Krome Circular Sawblades

Sistemi have introduced a new range of chrome coated carbide tipped sawblades with the following customer benefits:

Protects the blade from overheating by reducing the cutting friction and increases the longevity.
Non-stick coating prevents resin build up and enables a smoother cut.
Prevents rust and corrosion.
Micrograin carbide tips are selected to ensure maximum blade performance and increase blade lifetime.
No risk of peeling, unlike other inferior manufactured blades.
Currently available in 17 of the most popular sizes of alternate bevel (for raw timber) and Triple chip (for panel processing) sawblades.

A small catalogue showing the range is available in the download section of our website.

Sistemi Klein CNC Tooling

CP Tooling and Machinery Ltd, in collaboration with one of their Italian tooling suppliers, Sistemi, have launched a new CNC Tooling & Accessories brochure.

The 65-page catalogue contains the following, fast moving, items for all makes of CNC and point-to-point boring machines:

Drill adaptors and quick-change chucks.
Carbide tipped and solid carbide drills in various diameters, cut lengths, overall lengths and durability.
Carbide tipped and solid carbide hinge boring bits in various diameters and overall lengths.
Chucks, collets, wrenches, nuts and sawblade adapters.
Tornado Dust and Chip extraction nut.
Chuck tool demount devices and cleaning kits.
Solid carbide spiral router cutters in various diameters, cut lengths and overall lengths.
‘Hotblock’ shrink fit chucks.

CP Tooling will be carrying a small stock of the faster moving items, backed up with weekly deliveries from Sistemi. A copy of the catalogue can be download from our website.

CP Tooling & Machinery Ltd., was set up by Colin Peacock and Ian Small to offer advice, standard and bespoke, innovative tooling design and manufacture to help joinery companies and the panel processing industry save time and money.