Machine or bench-mounted holding fixtures, such as clamps, angle plates and vises, hold pieces steady during the work process. By preventing pieces from moving while being worked upon, fixtures increase worker performance and productivity, increase operator safety and potentially improve part quality.
Originally available in manual styles only, work holding fixtures today are available in mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, vacuum and electric models. Manually changing work holding for a different part is time-consuming. Transitioning from a manual to a pneumatic fixture, for example, saves considerable time over the course of a day.