Why Quick-Change Your Kurt Vise? It Only Takes 22 Seconds.

March 10, 2018 

Hi guys, this is Rick at Elijah Tooling.

Today I want to show you something that I think you'll get a lot out of.

First, I want to introduce this world class workholding product; this is our patented Invert-a-Bolt Fastener and it is an integral part of our flat-plate modular fixture plate workholding system. It's a captive work-holding fastener and It's used to connect any two objects with high precision. Specifically, in the CNC workholding solutions industry, you can connect a base plate to parts, plates, tooling, milling machine vises, or anything you want. Today, I'm going to talk about connecting it to a Kurt mill vise from Kurt Manufacturing.

So, I've got a Kurt machinist vise body right over here. It's already prepped. It's basically upside-down. Okay, so don't get confused that this is upside down.

What we wanted to do is prep this to accept the Invert-a-Bolt Fasteners (Not Standard Kurt Vise Accessories) and then, we want to prep it to accept a locating product as well. So, I'm going to screw these in just for kicks so you can kind of see what it's gonna be once it's in the base plate.

You've got the four Invert-a-Bolt workholding fasteners and they're connecting the base of the Kurt workholding vise. Now I know what you're thinking, you're thinking "well that's just fine and dandy but I don't see a locator." Well, that's what this is all about. This is our patent-pending locator device, and it's a combination bushing and threaded insert.

That's that product we call it a ZipBushing. You can drive it with a driver and it drives straight in, and drives straight out. It's pretty cool. Locates on the center just like a bushing does.

But, what we use it for is we put this Xzertz™ Retractable Locating Dowel Pin in here. That's our name for a retractable dowel pin.

So, we can screw this pin in and out. We can even make it go flush, just like we can screw the Invert-a-Bolt Fastener flush. So, let me show you I could take this and it's going to go into this locating hole that we've prepped for on the Kurt vise.

So, these six products and their insertion tools right here form a kit and that kit is $325. (Replacement Parts Available). So, for $325 you can easily convert your Kurt vise to something that repeatedly locates over-and-over-and-over again, and will prevent your operators from spending an undue amount of time dial indicating that thing in and setting it up.

We're going to show you the loading and unloading of this vise and we're also going to show you the unloading and the loading of a Kurt vice that doesn't have the quick change hardware on it so that we can compare the Invert-a-Bolt system against the standard Kurt Workholding System.

So, I was just talking about quick-changing a Kurt machine vise, and that incorporates two different products. We have Xzertz™ Retractable Locating Dowel Pins right here and you have the four Invert-a-Bolt Fasteners right here. So, I realize that this fixture is a lot more complicated than what we're talking about and it's a special-purpose fixture that allows somebody to do this for almost anything but for the specific application that we're talking about.

One thing I did want to also talk about is how to connect the base plate if you're doing a quick-change plate versus connecting to the T-Slot fixture and, of course, this plate is already connected to a T-Slot fixture, but what we've got is another kit that incorporates one of our T-Slot fasteners.

You see how it works the same way and it actually goes into a slot just like that.

Then, you can pull it up into whatever it is you're holding. In this case, it would be the base plate. The kit also involves a fixture key and it'll slide in the slot as well.

So, I just wanted to explain that that's one of the kits that's available and it allows you to create a base plate that then connects to the t-slot fixture below.

Now I'm going to have our CNC Machinist Aaron help me out. He's going to bring the vise over and we're going to show you how we can rapidly load it and then he's also going to dial it in and show you that it's repeating. So, I'll let him come and do that now. 

Alright, it goes on there fast and, again check it out. Once again, rapid installation. 

Hey, thanks for joining me today guys. I'm really happy that you spent the time listening. I just want to summarize this; here you've got a traditional setup that can't repeat, and it's always going to be slow. Because you're connecting it with some bolts.

On the other hand, the same exact Kurt vise converted to a modern quick change-type, all you have to do is install these simple products and you can join the movement in the manufacturing industry. It's really simple. Every time you're going to get a repeatable solution that only takes 22 seconds and lets you focus on creating precision parts, rather than changing your CNC machine's workholding.

Every time it is going on and off in a few seconds. You saw that with your own eyes. So, the choice is yours.

Thank you!

-Rick

P.S. We are not endorsed by Kurt Vises Workholding and do not endorse (Or, not endorse) the use of their products. Including but not limited... Kurt Vise Jaw Dimensions, Kurt Hydraulics, Vises Rotary Table Workholding, Manifolds Solenoids, Jaw Deflection, Safe 50, Soft Jaws, Jaw Plates, etc.