Chick Extends Invitation to Help Design CNC Vise

0
1225

Chick Workholding Solutions, Inc., a leader in workholding innovation, has officially invited the CNC machining marketplace to become a part of history in creating the future of CNC workholding. Chick plans to implement a program that allows the consumer to contribute to the design of a new CNC Vise before it is released.

Since the new CNC Vise does not fall into current workholding categories, Chick is undergoing extra effort with their product release. It is not a traditional single-station vise originally designed for use on manual machines. It is also not a dual station workholding system designed for CNC production applications. The CNC Vise creates a new category of workholding, as a single-station vise that will be designed specifically with the goal of making it the most efficient version available for a CNC machine.

Chick’s research and development team has been hard at work for more than a year designing the new concept in virtual space, as well as with custom-built prototypes. The concept has been in consumer testing for several months. However, the company chose to take an unprecedented step in the machining industry by unveiling the device at IMTS to ensure that the CNC Vise meets the market’s needs.

Instead of the industry standard of a one-time grand public “reveal” for new products, Chick will roll out a conceptual prototype of the CNC Vise for viewing, use, and commentary at IMTS 2006. Behind the idea is the belief that it is better to release the product only when it truly meets consumer needs.

Visitors to Chick’s booth will be able to not only see the product, but also to actually test it in a real-world setting through the company’s QwikChange™ Challenge. The Challenge will pit four participants at a time in a head-to-head race to see who can take the CNC Vise through five different changeovers in the least amount of time. Chick will reward the fastest times with great prizes, including a flat screen plasma TV.

By giving the public and the rest of the industry an early view of the CNC Vise, and a chance to voice suggestions and reservations, Chick aspires to have the CNC Vise ready in its final version. This ensures that the CNC Vise will not need to be redesigned later due to unforeseen customer needs. By previewing the concept, Chick plans to have the CNC Vise field tested, and thus will contain the attributes the public desires. Chick has also launched an interactive Web site dedicated to the CNC Vise at [www.buildacncvise.com]. It provides opportunities to learn about the concept, as well as to add thoughts and comments on how it can be improved or modified. Chick will gather suggestions from this site and use them to further the design of the first CNC Vise.

Visit Chick at IMTS booth #E-2869, or call (800) 332-4425. Also call Christopher Whitlatch at (724) 773-6162 or send e-mail to cwhitlatch@chick-workholding.com. The company’s Web site is [www.chickworkholding.com].