Design and Development of a Versatile Ice Clamping System

Abstract

In manufacturing industries, workpiece clamping is one of the basic requirement prior to machining process as the clamping system is responsible to maintain the workpiece rigidity and withstand the cutting force generated from the machining process. Besides, Clamping device is one of the reasons which influence the surface integrity of a part. Clamping workpieces for machining can be challenging especially for intricate non-symmetric geometry and vulnerable parts. In this study, a new system has been designed and developed where the workpiece is submerged in a fluid and the fluid is completely frozen to form ice that holds the workpiece rigidly. This ice clamping system can hold any parts of the workpiece regardless of their geometry and fragility. To freeze the desired workpiece, the energy required for 942 cm3 of clamping fluid was 98.43 kJ. Total freezing time was 90 minutes. Further development on the system is required in terms of improving freezing time and de-freezing of the work-piece.

Design, characterisation and performance evaluation of a Peltier-driven cryo-adhesive fixture for manufacturing operations

“…Bahar et al [31] studied the feasibility of submerging a workpiece in a water container before freezing the container to secure the piece in position. A cylindrical tank just under 1 litre in volume was filled with distilled water at an ambient temperature of 25°C.…”