Custom and 3D Printed Soft Jaws for CNC Machines
Soft jaws let a standard vice or chuck hold an awkward part properly. Innovat3D designs and manufactures custom soft jaws, including 3D printed soft jaws that conform to profiled components and protect finished surfaces.
They are usually the fastest and cheapest route to a better setup, because they build on workholding you already own.
Problems this solves
- Round, profiled or thin parts that will not sit square in flat jaws
- Clamping marks on machined, anodised or polished surfaces
- Parts crushing or distorting under point clamping
- Repeatability lost when parts are re-gripped for a second operation
Typical applications
- Profiled jaws matching a component's outer form
- Stepped jaws for second-operation gripping
- Protective jaw faces for finished parts
- Multi-part jaws for gang setups
- Chuck jaws for turned components
Benefits
Conformal grip
Contact spread over the part form rather than a couple of edges.
No marking
Polymer faces hold firmly without denting finished surfaces.
Repeatable
Built-in stops give the same position every load.
Quick to produce
Printed jaws can be made and trialled in a short turnaround.
Uses your existing kit
Fits standard vices and chucks — no new machine investment.
Who we work with
- CNC machine shops of all sizes
- Turned-parts manufacturers
- Shops handling finished or cosmetic components
How it works
- 01
Part geometry
From your CAD, drawing or a sample part.
- 02
Jaw design
Grip form, depth, stops and clamping force considered together.
- 03
Manufacture
Printed in engineering polymer or machined, depending on the duty.
- 04
Trial
Checked in the vice and adjusted if the grip or datum needs refining.
Frequently asked questions
- Are 3D printed soft jaws strong enough?
- For light and moderate cuts on many components, yes. For heavy roughing or high clamping loads, machined aluminium or steel jaws remain the better choice.
- Will they fit our vices?
- Jaws are designed to your specific vice or chuck, so the mounting and jaw envelope match what you already have.
- Can jaws be made for a family of parts?
- Yes — either one jaw set covering several sizes, or a quick-change arrangement with interchangeable inserts.
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View Engineering 3D PrintingDiscuss your application
Send CAD files, drawings, photographs, dimensions, an existing part or simply a description of the manufacturing problem — whatever you have is enough to start. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Innovat3D supports engineering and manufacturing customers throughout the UK.