Patent ID: 7770499

Claim:
A workpiece holding system for a machine tool for correctly locating a disk-shaped workpiece in a work area of the machine tool, comprising a base plate rigidly mounted on a locating surface of the machine tool, the base plate including radially and vertically adjustable clamping elements for restraining the workpiece on its outer circumference, a plurality of exchangeable centering elements separably attachable to at least one of the base plate and the locating surface of the machine tool for centering the workpiece on its inner circumferential surface, each of the exchangeable centering elements being configured in a different manner to make it unique to at least one of a specific workpiece and a specific machining operation, and a plurality of exchangeable supporting elements separably attachable to the base plate, one at a time, a first one of the exchangeable supporting elements having an outward facing surface configured with a specific shape and surrounding an axis of the base plate as to be engageable with a first workpiece at multiple points surrounding the axis of the base plate to rigidly support the first workpiece in a desired position, when restrained by clamping elements, for a machining operation, each other supporting element configured differently from the first one of the supporting elements to at least one of rigidly support the first workpiece at multiple points surrounding the axis of the base plate for another machining operation and rigidly support another workpiece at multiple points surrounding the axis of the base plate for a machining operation, each supporting element being configured in a different manner to make it unique to at least one of a specific workpiece and a specific machining operation, wherein a plurality of differently configured workpieces can be correctly located and clamped in the workpiece holding system for machining by the machine tool by selecting specific one of the plurality of exchangeable centering elements and a specific one of the plurality of supporting elements to accurately fit a size and shape configuration of a selected one of the plurality of differently configured workpieces so as to correctly locate the selected workpiece on the machine tool, and others of the plurality of differently configured workpieces can be correctly located and clamped in the workpiece holding system for machining by the machine tool by merely exchanging at least one of the previously selected exchangeable centering element and exchangeable supporting element for another of the plurality of exchangeable centering elements and supporting elements constructed and arranged to accurately fit a size and shape configuration of one of the others of the plurality of differently configured workpieces.