Metric TuffCam Swing Clamps

No, there are restrictions. High-speed swing clamps are capable of approximately 2X the speed of standard 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 the TuffCam™ swing clamp is reduced. Consult the Clamp Time and Flow Rate Chart to determine the speed for your application.

The three uni-directional cams and three cam balls guide the rotation of the plunger and provide greater guide, 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.

Yes, the TuffCam™ Low Profile Swing clamps have the same mounting envelope as standard Low Profile swing clamps.

There will be 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 support retraction to coordinate with TuffCam™ Low Profile 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.

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, and are static circuits for which dynamic formulae are less applicable. Excessive flow may continue to damage clamps, (even TuffCam™ clamps)we recommend a pump designed for clamping applications or appropriate flow restriction.

TuffCam™ Low Profile 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.

The maximum speed of a swing clamp ia applicable to both the clamp and unclamp function; as the momentum on the cam track and the 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 while watching the arm “swing” into position.
• The eye can track speed of movement at roughly 1/16 second. If while looking directly into the end of the swing clamp you can observe the arm move through it’s swing the positioning time should be somewhere around 1/2 second or longer. (See flow rates and clamping time tables.)
• 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 the device in the clamped position, the positioning time is something substantially less than 1/2 second. 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 tables.)
• 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 (cubic inches) by your pump’s output volume (cubic inches per minute) and then multiplying that number by 60 (60 seconds per minute). 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 single direction tri-cam design of TuffCam™ produces the strength and reliability to support faster speeds and larger arms. This design also delivers noteably 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 set up.

The single direction tri-cam design of TuffCam™ produces the strength and reliability to support faster speeds and larger arms. This design also delivers notably 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 set up.