AMF clamping jaws reduce set-up times by about two thirds during the changing of injection moulds

Speed and flexibility are important factors in production for the clever company owner from Swabia. He very successfully produces many different types of plastic parts for his customers in three-shift operation with process reliability and on schedule. This also includes rear light lenses for earlier models of the sports car icon Porsche 911 as well as standard parts for Lamborghini. An adjustable clamping jaw for large forces and flexible application is used together with the crocodile from AMF when changing the large injection moulding tools.

Moving instead of loosening and reattaching

Tools can be changed easily and quickly particularly in horizontal clamping situations, as is normally the case with injection moulding machines, by simply moving instead of loosening and screwing. The crocodile from AMF is a high-quality, forged, mechanical clamping element that absorbs large forces. But it is clearly less expensive than ordinary adjustable clamps. The compression piece and counterholder are undetachably connected to the clamping shoe and can be adjusted in up to 38 different points. That makes them quickly and universally ready to use. The crocodile can still clamp reliably even in narrow spaces in which the mould almost reaches the edge of the retaining plate. The previous customary diagonal attachment of clamps, which loses valuable holding force, is now a thing of the past.

The flexible crocodile clamping element with two differently shaped clamping surfaces can be easily turned around, depending on use. This means that tall moulds or workpieces can be also safely clamped without any loss of force. The clamping jaw is forged, tempered and zinc plated. With an additionally available, appropriate support extension, the crocodile clamping element can be expanded for almost any clamping height. This is clamped with commercially available tensioning screws, stud screws or the widely used cylinder screws. This diversity predestines the crocodile for use in almost all clamping tasks for metal-cutting and non-cutting processing on machine tools and presses.

That which belongs together stays together

In injection moulding machines with horizontal clamping situations, the captive feature makes handling much easier for the operator. He has all the necessary parts at hand in one grasp. When changing moulds, the clamping shoes - mostly eight - can be adjusted in the existing installation situation and do not have to be completely dismantled. Since everything is interconnected, this also eliminates the annoying search in the toolbox for the component parts, which is a daily annoyance for many. This means that a tool change can be done in two to five minutes instead in 15 minutes, as in the past. Therefore, with up to 15 tool changes, two to three hours of production time can be gained daily in the three-shift producing company. For medium batch sizes the owner-managed company achieves the decisive time advantages on the 20 or more injection moulding machines with closing forces of 250 to 6,500 kN during the frequent tool changes.