Efficiency and flexibility in workholding – Parker Hannifin relies on OK-VISE solutions

Parker Hannifin is globally renowned for its high-quality products. One of its key production facilities, Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Finland Oy, is located in Tampere, Finland.

In their machining operations, the primary challenge has been managing a wide range of batch sizes — from single-piece orders to thousands — while still maintaining the world-class quality expected of all Parker products.

Among the technical hurdles, tool management proved to be the most complex. Even the smallest components often require dozens of different tools, making a centralized tooling system not just beneficial, but essential.

In contrast, workholding presented a more straightforward challenge — one that could be addressed by implementing best practices and investing in the right modular systems.

To optimize workholding, Parker Hannifin turned to OK-VISE and adopted a modular system composed of the following key components:

• Triangular Tooling Blocks
  These blocks offer optimal tool access while maximizing usable surface area for clamping workpieces.

• Fixture Plates
  Fixture plates were introduced to allow rapid setup changes. These can accommodate both zero-point systems and bolt installations for fast and flexible fixture mounting.

• Modular Multi-Rail Fixturing System
  Mounted on the fixture plates, the Multi-Rail System is at the heart of the solution. It unlocks the full flexibility of modern machining centers and Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS).

The new modular system has greatly simplified Parker Hannifin’s workholding processes. Documenting fixture setups for repeat orders is now more efficient than ever, and a wide range of fixturing configurations can be assembled using just a few standard Multi-Rail modules.

“Modular OK-VISE workholding has proven to be an excellent choice. This concept allows us to clamp 95% of our product range. Every year, we require around 900 different fixture setups, and these can now be built quickly and easily using the OK-VISE Multi-Rail System,”
says Mr. Jyri Aaltonen, Manufacturing Systems Manager at Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Finland.