System for holding a thin-walled workpiece during machining

摘要

Each of a plurality of thin-walled workpieces is held for machining in a machine in a respective rigid holder. Ends of unmachined workpieces are each first imbedded in a molten body of a metal alloy having a melting point between 45 DEG C. and 140 DEG C. contained in a respective one of the rigid holders in a cooling station and having a negative expansion coefficient. The holder and the alloy body are cooled in the cooling station to solidify the body around the imbedded end of the unmachined workpiece and the cooled holder is displaced with the unmachined workpiece from the cooling station into the machine. After machining of the workpiece in the holder, the holder is displaced from the machine into a heating station where it is heated to melt the alloy body. Then the machined workpiece is lifted out of the molten body in the heating station and the holder with the molten alloy body is recirculated from the heating station to the cooling station. Then another workpiece is imbedded in the molten alloy body and the cycle is repeated.