The Manufacturing Challenge
- Securely grip long, delicate tubes inside the customer’s existing laser-welder rotary table.
- Apply only a light, pneumatically controlled force to avoid collapsing thin walls.
- Accommodate two tube diameters with rapid changeover.
- Provide full through-hole clearance so the extended tube length could “bury” into the chuck without obstruction.
Northfield Precision’s Solution
We supplied a turnkey fixturing package built around a Northfield 4-in. Model 450THR750 Through-Hole Rotating Chuck and a 4-in. rear-mount actuator assembly (.300 in. stroke) , plus all interface hardware:
- Custom front & rear adapter plates to bolt directly onto the customer’s rotary table.
- Sub jaws with interchangeable Delrin® inserts sized for 6 mm and 8 mm tubes; inserts prevent part marking and swap out in seconds.
- Precision through-hole design lets the long tube length pass completely through the chuck and actuator while maintaining alignment.
- Low-pressure pneumatic actuation gives the manufacturer fine control over grip force, eliminating risk of wall deformation.
Results
Engineer's Tip
When laser welding thin-wall tubing, use soft, interchangeable jaw inserts like Delrin to prevent surface damage and deformation. Always verify concentricity and grip force with test pieces before starting full production runs.