Advanced workholding solutions for digitalised manufacturing

STARK.intelligence digital zero-point clamping technology is a sensor-based system that allows digital status monitoring and recording of clamping elements, providing transparency in production and enabling predictive maintenance

At EMO Hannover 2025, taking place in Hannover from 22 to 26 September, workholding equipment manufacturer Roemheld (Hall 4, Stand F33) will present its comprehensive suite of digitalised workholding solutions, which allow manufacturers to integrate their clamping processes into an Industry 4.0 factory environment. The focus will be on innovations like STARK.intelligence and the Hilma AS-E electromechanical machine vice series, which can transform traditional workholding into a vital source of real-time data, enhancing process reliability, efficiency and predictive maintenance.

In today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, companies face unprecedented pressures, such as the demand for higher precision, increasing product variants and the need for ongoing cost optimisation. While many metalworking companies still harbour doubts about the value of digitalised workpiece clamping, Roemheld, through its Stark division, will demonstrate that these advanced solutions are not just an advantage, but a necessity for future-proofing production.

Martin Greif, Stark’s managing director, said: “We are committed to making companies fit for the future of smart metalworking by providing solutions that integrate seamlessly, provide invaluable data and dramatically improve process control. While basic pneumatic or sensory monitoring of clamped and unclamped states has been available for years, our latest developments unlock a new dimension of process control and self diagnosis. Advanced digitalisation of workholding is no longer a concept, but a tangible reality that delivers significant returns on investment, often within a few months."

Innovative strategy
Roemheld’s approach to Industry 4.0 is rooted in mechatronics. It involves enhancing existing hydraulic and pneumatic clamping devices with a powerful combination of mechanics, electronics and software. The innovative strategy ensures that even for applications demanding high clamping forces, where hydraulic solutions remain the preferred choice, the benefits of digitalisation may be fully realised.

A typical STARK.intelligence five-axis milling set-up for automated loading, accommodating six STARK.classic zero-point elements with sensor boxes and a master unit with IO-Link coupler

At the heart of this philosophy is STARK.intelligence, a system with modular sensors designed to make hydraulically, pneumatically or mechanically operated zero-point clamping systems digital-ready. Each clamp is equipped with its own multi-sensor unit that continuously collects critical information, such as travel (position), temperature and pressure. The data is aggregated by a master unit and transmitted to various end devices via an IO-Link interface, available in both inductive and wired versions.

Mr Greif added: “Everyone involved receives exactly the information they need, exactly where they need it. Machine operators see vital data on their control systems, while maintenance and quality assurance personnel access it on their computers. Even service technicians can be notified on their smartphones in the event of a malfunction, ensuring rapid response and minimal downtime.”

Advanced visualisation
Furthermore, STARK.intelligence offers a high degree of modularity and flexibility, allowing easy installation into machine tables or quick-release pallets. Users can tailor their solution, selecting individual components or opting for a complete package that includes advanced visualisation. Optional features, such as an integrated RFID interface, further reduce the need for operator intervention by automatically detecting pallets and workpieces.

The Roemheld product family encompasses a variety of digital-ready workholding solutions including swing clamps, wedge clamping elements and zero-point clamping systems. In addition, there is the Hilma AS-E type electromechanical machine vice, which eliminates the need for additional sensors by leveraging the motor itself to provide data for displacement and force measurement, which is seamlessly transmitted to the control system.

Guido Born, product manager for the workpiece clamping system product line at Roemheld, said: “Customers are enthusiastic about the application of precise clamping forces and optional automatic jaw change. The reliability is exceptional, as the spindle is self-locking when clamped, even without a power supply.”

The AS-E vice’s ability to operate without a minimum pressure makes it well suited to retaining delicate, thin-walled workpieces requiring very low clamping forces. Its programmability allows for precise control of clamping stroke and force for each component, enabling entire families of parts to be automatically set up and manufactured within a single workholding system, without manual intervention.