Case Study: Lean Machine CNC and Metal Fab achieves faster, more accurate machining with Markforged 3D printed vise and soft jaws

Lean Machine CNC and Metal Fab cuts vise cost 75% with Markforged

Lean Machine CNC and Metal Fab, a metal fabrication job shop, faced a challenge when a customer job required a custom vise for their CNC mill. Using a standard vise would have forced them to clamp the stock too far from the cutting area, leading to slower and less accurate machining. Building a custom metal vise was cost-prohibitive. They turned to Markforged, using a Mark Two 3D printer to address this issue.

The solution from Markforged involved creating a custom vise/soft jaw combination using over two dozen 3D printed continuous carbon fiber reinforced parts combined with off-the-shelf components. This new design allowed the part to be clamped much closer to the cutting area. The results were a 66% faster machining process and a 75% lower cost, enabling Lean Machine to take on more complex work.

Lean Machine CNC and Metal Fab