Who needs to know about power-off clamping devices?

Power-off clamping is a niche need in the world of manufacturing and engineering, but when you need it, it’s vital to pick the right system. There is a significant difference between power-off and power-on clamping, so knowing the difference is an important first step.

But, who might need to incorporate a power-off clamping system into their work?

Mechanical Engineers (Original Equipment Manufacturers)

Mechanical engineers, especially those at OEMs need to incorporate clamping systems into their designs, both for safety and function. They need to know what the application requirements are for the specific use-case, and how to create the greatest risk reduction, which could mean including a safety-catching mechanism, a position-and-hold mechanism, or in rare cases both for redundancy.

Mechanical engineers also need to keep costs to a minimum while maintaining crucial functionality and keeping the system simple. Power-off clamping provides this for many situations including safety and positioning applications.

Maintenance Manager (End Users of Manufacturing Equipment)

Maintenance managers would look to include a power-off clamping system to reduce the risk of machine downtime, start-up and recovery, and employee hazards. Because power-off clamping systems are easily incorporated, they can help ensure the reliability and safety of existing machines. They look for a system that’s user-friendly and easy to install and maintain.

All of this creates new (or renewed) peace-of-mind for machine operators who are using equipment that may not have been safe in the past.

Safety Engineers and Engineering Consultants

An engineering consultant would look at a power-off clamping system the same way a mechanical engineer would. They would look to take as many pre-existing subsystems that are known to work well and integrate them into a system to make sure they can accomplish the overall goal of the complex “science project.” Safety engineers are well versed in the regulatory equirements for industrial machinery (and want to ensure that the components and systems check all the boxes).

Engineering consultants need the power-off clamping manufacturer to understand the high-level objectives for the project as a whole, rather than just the details of the clamping component. Advanced Machine & Engineering’s AMLOK clamping systems are designed to be off-the-shelf, but can be customized when needed, and their comprehensive applications support makes it easy to integrate into new and existing systems.

Machine Integrator/Rebuilders

Machine integrators and rebuilders would be looking to retrofit aging equipment with modern safety devices. Typically, the integrators assist the MRO or user market to complete machine upgrades. Safety regulations change from country to country and across different markets and industries, and in case those regulations become more stringent, these integrators would want the flexibility to sell into a broad range of markets.

Industrial Distributor and Integrated Suppliers (Reseller)

An industrial distributor would have a less technical objective when looking for a supplier of power-off clamping devices. When the end customer requires a power-off clamping device, they’re ultimately looking for a simple, more transactional relationship based on the best price and overall cost for the project. Responsive delivery is a priority to these buyers and suppliers that stock inventory for common standards can have a big advantage over their competitors.

A “don’t make me think” approach wins with industrial suppliers who don’t have the capacity to become an expert in each of the countless products they sell. So an easy to understand buying experience is very valuable for them.

The designers, implementers, integrators, and buyers that require power-off clamping systems have different challenges, goals, and objectives. We consider each perspective to be able to adapt to support their unique needs.

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