Workholding (Haas UMC-500)

All of the work-holding systems shown in this Wiki have corresponding template files available to download in the Files section of this Teams channel. See each section below for a link to a video showing how to set them up for use, and some examples of how they have been used in the past.

If there is something missing, or you need some help with a workholding solution you can ask the Maker Space technical staff - there are countless ways to hold onto material so we can only cover the basics here!

Rocklock Base

Rocklock base mounted to the UMC-500 table.

The Rock Lock base stays attached to the machine table unless there is a specific reason to remove it. There are eight holes with a 96mm hole spacing which are used to lock various pieces of workholding onto the machine table. Work holding solutions - such as vises, dovetail clamps and fixture plates are known collectively as "top tooling."

To remove top tooling

Using an 8mm hex key loosen all three of the golden clamps until the o-rings are just visible. You can now pull the work holding from the top of the Rock Lock base. Clean the bottom of the tooling and the top of the base to ensure there are no chips to be trapped.

To fit top tooling

Make sure the Rock Lock base and the bottom of the top tooling is clean to ensure no chips are trapped between them. Carefully place the four pull studs into the holes and tighten all of the golden clamps with an 8mm hex key. Do not overtighten these - at most 40Nm. Use the torque wrench if you are unsure.