Rock steady workholding from 5th Axis and Grip-Tec

By Bhalchandra Chorghade, Editor, CNCTimes.com

Whether you’re using a vice, tombstone, fixture, three-jaw chuck or collet, the ability to hold a workpiece securely and, in the case of batch work, repeatedly to micron accuracy is a fundamentally essential aspect of any successful machining process. Fortunately help is at hand. Grip-Tec is a new workholding company whose products will be reassuringly familiar. Dave Tudor reports.

Jason and Kate Short are directors of Yeovil-based Grip-Tec, a company formed just eight months ago with two clear business objectives in mind: to offer top-quality, competitively priced workholding products backed by exemplary levels of customer service.

After 30+ years in the business, Jason Short will be a familiar face to many readers. He understands that to be successful in the manufacturing space, you need to offer complete solutions rather than simply products.

It’s certainly early days for Grip-Tec, but both Jason and Kate Short are in high spirits following a very successful MACH show in April. Based on enquiry levels from visitors to the stand, things are going to be pretty busy over the coming months following up on a significant number of promising prospects. 

As a highly focused business, Grip-Tec’s modus operandi certainly isn’t to stock shedloads of products from hundreds of different suppliers – preferring instead to work closely with a select group of manufacturers.

With this in mind, the company will represent Taiwanese toolholding specialist Kojex and workholding expert Hainbuch as an official southern agent in the UK – but it’s main principal will be California-based 5th Axis – a designer and manufacturer of high quality, flexible, modular workholding and automation systems.

Growing the business

Via an extensive global distributor network, 5th Axis products can be found in engineering businesses all around the world. In the UK, Grip-Tec has exclusive distribution rights for its comprehensive range of RockLock bases, tombstones and pyramids, fixtures, vices, alignment pallets, jaws, and accessories.

“I’ve been working closely with 5th Axis for more than 10 years so to represent them exclusively in the UK is a fantastic opportunity,” enthuses Jason Short.

“The foundation for the partnership was that 5th Axis wanted a dedicated representative in the UK and for all intents and purposes that’s exactly what we are – a UK extension of their business. I’m already very familiar with their products so my brief is to support existing customers even better, build the customer base and expand into new markets.

“The support I’ve received directly from 5th Axis over the years – and particularly recently – has been excellent,” he adds. “They’re flexible, highly approachable, great to work with, technically very knowledgeable, and, importantly from our perspective, very much open to suggestions for potential new products and technologies.

“I know for a fact they’re as excited about this new partnership as we are. Testament to their commitment is the fact that Eric Nekich, 5th Axis’ sales manager flew over from the US specially to help out on the stand at MACH. Kate and I really appreciated his expertise at the show and we’re grateful for his ongoing support.”

It’s clear that Mr Short values the personal touch in business, resisting the temptation to dilute his product offering by representing too many principals. He’s as personable as he is knowledgeable about his subject; his approach is to work closely with customers, calling on his expertise to help solve their manufacturing workholding conundrums. At the moment, operating from an office in Yeovil, the company is very much in its infancy, but there are facilities for product training and the company holds around £100,000 worth of stock ready to ship to customers.

No doubt Mr Short will be kept busy with an expanding customer base – which already includes clients in F1, aerospace, oil and gas and medical – but he can’t do everything himself. For that reason, plans are in place to develop a UK-based distributor network to spread the word and cast the 5th Axis net even wider.

https://www.pesmedia.com/5th-axis-grip-tec-20052022

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