TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you recommend the use of TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps over the standard product? Applications where speed is essential, massive arms are required, or position sensing is necessary, use TuffCam ™ design most effectively. These application types may result in premature failure not due to defects in standard clamps, but from excesses in speed, mass or other requirements. When speed is essential, VersaCam ™ Swing Clamps (which last millions of cycles in ordinary applications) may not live up to life cycle expectations. When a VersaCam ™ Swing Clamp is damaged early in its life due to speed abuse, replacement with a TuffCam ™ Swing Clamp may be a way to maintain speed requirements and lengthen device life in the application. Where arm mass damages the swing mechanism of VersaCam ™ Swing Clamps, the tri-cam design of the TuffCam ™ Swing Clamp strengthens the ball and cam link. The beefier design, capacity and reinforced rotation mechanism of the TuffCam ™ Swing Clamp could be your best solution. Can I run the TuffCam ™ Swing Clamp at any speed I want? No, there are restrictions. TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps are capable of approximately two times the speed of VersaCam ™ swing clamps in prolonged use without damage. In the event that you need faster speeds or larger arms, please understand that the life of even TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps is reduced. Consult the Clamp Time and Flow Rate chart at the start of Section C to determine the speed for your application. What makes the cam follower ball seat so special in these units? The three cams and three cam balls guide the rotation of the plunger and providing greater support and directional stability. The patented cam follower design is unique in the industry and uses solid carbide balls and composite ball seats. The ball seat design assures that the ball rolls in the cam rather than jamming and scraping resulting in wear on both the cam track and ball.
What defines a TuffCam ™ Swing Clamp? The single direction tri-cam design of TuffCam ™ produces the strength and reliability to support faster speeds and larger arms. This design also delivers noticeably better accuracy and repeatability over other brands. The clocking feature, included on all styles, dramatically reduces the time it takes to change arms for maintenance, replacement or design setup. How can I measure the clamp speed? The maximum speed of a swing clamp is applicable to both clamp and unclamp function, as the momentum on the cam track and cam follower apply to both movements. To approximate the speed of your application: * Look down the centerline of the swing clamp, perpendicular to the arm. * Actuate your clamping system and watch the arm “swing” into position. * The eye can track speed of movement at roughly 1/16 sec. If while looking directly into the end of the swing clamp, you can observe the arm move through its swing, the positioning time should be somewhere around ½ sec. or longer. See flow rates and clamping time on page at the start of Section C. * If, while looking directly into the end of the swing clamp, you cannot observe the arm move, or it is unclamped and the next thing you can see is that it is in the clamped position, the positioning time is something substantially less than 1/2 sec. Your standard model clamp is at risk of premature failure. However, the TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps can actuate at a faster speed. See flow rates and clamping time at the start of Section C. * It is possible to approximate the clamp time by adding the total active volume of devices in the specific control branch of your system, and dividing that volume (cu. cm.) by your pump’s output volume (cu. cm./minute) and then multiplying that number by 60 (60 sec./min.). This will give you the theoretical calculated time to move a device through its stroke, but does not account for flow loss due to flow restrictions in the system.
The demands on my fixture have changed and I am considering your TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps. Can I switch out TuffCam ™ for your standard product? Yes, the TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps have the same mounting envelope as VersaCam ™ Swing Clamp counterparts. I want to use work supports with TuffCam™ Swing Clamps. Will the work supports cycle fast enough to keep up with the part change outs? There is some lag between the unclamp of swing clamps and the full release of pressure in any work support circuit. This is critical with fluid advance supports, as the circuit must have time to evacuate under low pressure to allow the plungers to retract for reloading the fixture. If speed is the issue in work support retraction coordinating with TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps, an air advance support must be used with the air circuit released prior to hydraulic circuit release. When the hydraulic circuit is released, the support will begin to immediately retract pushing only the air from the line rather than the higher viscosity hydraulic fluid. I’m using a high-volume pump and it is “blowing out” my swing clamps. Will TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps take care of this problem? High-volume pumps often incorporate high-volume accumulators. An accumulator will yield excessive flow, approaching instantaneous infinite flow, and is intended for dynamic loads. Hydraulic clamps are used to hold static loads. Excessive flow may continue to damage clamps, even TuffCam ™ , and we recommend changing to a pump designed for clamping applications or appropriate flow restriction. My application requires clamps to hit my part in the exact place every time. Should I use your TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps? TuffCam ™ Swing Clamps will be more precise in their point of contact. Keep in mind that any draft angle or side forces will ultimately damage the cam tracks of any swing clamp and result in loss of precision. In the case of precision positioning, guide pins are recommended and may be implemented with a single-ended or double-ended arm.
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*TuffCam™ is a trademark of Vektek.
© Vektek December 2021
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