We created Flux Workholding to streamline the workflow of CNC machining small parts, so you can iterate faster, machine more parts, and enjoy life making the stuff you want to make.

It’s a vise. It’s a pallet changer. It’s a 4th AND 5th axis enabling 5-sided machining.

The Workflow

1. Mount: Simply lower the vise onto the Flux Puck, and tighten one screw to lock it in place.

2. Machine: With a sacrificial shim clamped between the jaws, machine a cavity in the same shape as your part.

3. Clamp: After removing the sacrificial shim, place your part in the cavity, and tighten the screw on the front of the vise (with the same 8mm hex wrench).

How it Works

The Core Problem of Workholding: How do you hold your part while you're machining it? 

This problem hasn't changed in about 200 years. However, we took a fresh look at the problem to create a system that optimizes the following elements:

• Precision
• Ease of Use
• Versatility
• Affordability
• Space Efficiency
• Security

1. Precision: 1 Micron Repeatability

Whether you’re machining optomechanical parts for a satellite, or just part of a fidget spinner, precision is priority #1. With the Flux Puck base, we've achieved 10 times better repeat accuracy than other leading solutions.

Repeatability means you can remove a vise or pallet from the base, then put it back on later, and it will be in exactly the same spot (+/-  .001 mm). No need to tram anything, update work coordinate systems or probe. You can switch from one part family to another in seconds.

 The v-shaped serrations form a Hirth Coupling, which is characterized by:

• High load capacity
• Zero backlash
• Self-centering
• Elastic averaging
• Indexability

By preloading the two halves of the coupling in a very special way,  1 micron repeatability is readily achieved.

2. Easy to Use: Industrial Building Blocks

As children, we loved playing with Lego building blocks because they provide infinite possibilities, but with the comfort of knowing everything will always fit together just right. We designed our system to work the same way, to maximize fun and minimize struggle.

"It's only the last turn of a bolt that tightens it – the rest is just movement.” – Shigeo Shingo

With a few turns of a wrench, your vise is located and aligned. With another half-turn of the same wrench, your part is clamped in the vise.

3. Versatile

The Flux Puck interfaces with a variety of vises, pallets, and adapters, so you can effortlessly switch from one fixture to another.

4. Affordable

Simpler: Our patent pending design is as simple as possible, but no simpler. While some pallet changers need 20+ components to function, the Flux Puck requires only 2. 

Monolithic: The vise is basically nothing but soft jaws. There is no vise really. We just deleted it… and in doing so we eliminated a lot of costly parts. The monolithic vise design takes advantage of selective compliance. It bends where necessary but it's extremely rigid everywhere else. It's kind of like a machine vise and a collet had a baby.

Inherently Quick Changeable: Every Monolithic Vise has quick change capability built in.  Other zero point systems require 4 expensive studs that you must buy for each and every workholding device.

Meanwhile, we incorporated locating features directly into the top tooling, so there's nothing extra to buy.

Full and Rapid Reusability: You can give your jaws new life by machining them again. While you should probably have dedicated fixturing for parts that you make often, you can easily get a few uses out of each vise for prototypes and "onesie-twosie" jobs.

5. Space Efficient

Less Wasted Space: You could use a 90 pound cast-iron vise to hold your small machined parts. It can work. But wouldn't you rather use a 2 pound vise that is the right size for the part, and will accomplish the same thing with less hassle? 

High Density Workholding: Put more parts on your CNC machine table, and you can easily increase productivity by a factor of 2 or 3.  It also lets you walk away from the machine to spend time with your family and friends, while the machine continues to make chips unattended. You should do that. They probably miss you.

6. Secure

Each Monolithic Vise is capable of a gripping your part with more than 4000 pounds of force. Meanwhile, the positive locking nature of the Flux Puck ensures that the vise is rigidly secured to its base.

We know it's secure, because every milled component of the Flux Puck system is machined with... itself. Let me tell you, it was a bit of a chicken and egg problem making that first one.

What will you make with it?

You can make almost anything. Our system is optimized for the size of parts you can hold in one hand. If your part fits that description, we believe this system will often be the best way to fixture it.

What if you need to make bigger parts?

The largest Monolithic Vise we currently offer is 100x150mm (about 4x6 inches). If that isn't enough real estate, one option is to gang up on your part with multiple vises. 

Compatible with Everyone

The Flux Workholding system is compatible with nearly every machine. If you aren't sure about your machine, send us a message and we'll help you figure it out!

Machine Compatibility:  Every Flux Puck has slots on the side for use with toe clamps, so you can mount it on any machine table that has t-slots (so practically every CNC mill ever). 

Since the height of the Flux Puck and top tooling is quite compact, it will fit on most small CNC mills and routers.

The Flux Puck is compatible with the same spherical locating studs that we use on other Flux Workholding products, so you can easily locate your Flux Puck to a custom subplate.

The Tools

Flux Puck: This is the foundation of everything. The Flux Puck is attached to your machine table with toe clamps, or to a subplate using 4 M8 socket head cap screws. Diameter = 74 mm.

Single Station Vise 75mm X 100mm: The small one.

Dual Station Vise 75mm X 100mm: Great for machining 2-4 small parts at the same time. 

Single Station Vise 100mm X 150mm: A large blank canvas.

Dual Station Vise 100mm X 150mm: Great for machining 2-4 parts simultaneously. Conveniently machine Op 1 and Op 2 at the same time.

Pallet 100 mm X 150 mm: Great for use with fixture clamps, screws, or even tape and superglue in a pinch! Machine it into any shape you need, or mount other tooling on top of it.

4th Axis Converter: With a Flux Puck installed onto the converter, you can access the sides of your part in increments of 15 degrees. You can think of it as a 90 degree angle plate that you can swap in seconds. 

Please Note: To make use of this component, you must have an extra Flux Puck base to mount onto it.