At PAWS Workholding, we take pride in providing custom and turnkey workholding solutions for a number of milling and machining processes. Our field is specialized in the sense that it continues to explore innovative ways to deliver convenience, ease, and efficiency for industries that require strict attention to detail when handling uniquely-shaped materials. But where did all of this start? Understanding where CNC workholding came from involves first getting to know the history of CNC machining. Here, you will find our brief overview of the origins of CNC machining and how we’ve come to the cutting-edge CNC workholding solutions of today.

Where CNC Machining Came From

John T. Parsons, an engineer, inventor, and pioneer of numerical control (NC) for machine tools, is credited with laying the scientific foundation for the first CNC machine. During the 1940s, when the aerospace industry was just getting off the ground, Parsons was working as a machinist at his father’s firm when he came up with novel approaches to making helicopter rotors. Later, in the 1950s, a research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created the first CNC machine: the Cincinnati Milacron Hydrotel made for CNC milling applications.

The Birth of CNC Workholding

As machine tools became automated with CNC machining, there was an onslaught of different CNC machines for various applications. Manufacturing and production from raw materials became easier for artisans and companies alike as automated clamping solutions also improved. Instead of working on materials piece by piece, they were now able to employ advanced workholding solutions that allowed them to create products with more precision and faster than ever before.

CNC Workholding Today

Today, various custom CNC workholding solutions are available for many CNC milling and manufacturing machines of different kinds. With the use of an automated clamping system as part of a multi-part workholding system, for example, companies can attain productivity gains of 35% or more. Furthermore, the amount of jobs that need to be completed by an operator is cut down dramatically by as much as 50%.

Services by PAWS Workholding

When it comes to workholding solutions, PAWS Workholding is at the forefront of innovation. Our multi-part workholding and automation-designed solutions provide unparalleled productivity, speed, and accuracy. In addition to our regular turnkey products, we can provide custom-built solutions to meet the requirements of almost any workholding application. Some of our solutions include:

  • Vise Systems
  • Workholding Clamps
  • 8 Station 5C Collets
  • 24 Station 5C Collets
  • 8 Station 3J Collets
  • ID Collets
  • Fourth Axis Trunnions
  • Horizontal Tombstones
  • Multiple Part Fixture Plates
  • Pallet Changers

Custom and Turnkey CNC Workholding Solutions

Since the early 1990s, PAWS Workholding has been providing advanced CNC workholding solutions for the milling and manufacturing industries all across the country. Our team of CNC workholding specialists combines decades of industry expertise and leading CAD/CAM tools to design and develop first-class workholding products. As the founding company of the patented Hydraulic Clamping System, we understand efficiency and productivity in a milling or manufacturing environment by heart. To explore your ideal custom CNC workholding solutions today, visit our website or contact us at (866) 686-7297.