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Design and Fabrication of a Modified Bench Vise for Comfortability and

Productivity

Article · June 2022

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 ISSN: 2714 - 2450
Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology

[AUJET] Vol. 5, No 1, 01 - 07 (2022)

www.aujet.adelekeuniversity.edu.ng

Design and Fabrication of a Modified Bench Vise for Comfortability and

Productivity

Musibaudeen O. Idris1, Kehinde M. Adeleke2, Iliyasu K. Okediran3, Tiamiyu I. Mohammed4

1
Mechanical Engineering Department, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria, musibaudeen.idris@uniosun.edu.ng
2
Mechanical Engineering Department, Adeleke University, Ede, Nigeria, adeleke.kehinde@adelekeuniversity.edu.ng
3
Mechanical Engineering Department, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria, iliyasu.okediran@uniosun.edu.ng
4
Mechanical Engineering Department, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, timohammed@futa.edu.ng
Corresponding Author: musibaudeen.idris@uniosun.edu.ng

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Received: May/ 2022 Design and fabrication of a modified vise to improve the productivity, flexibility and
Revised: June/2022 comfortability of the existing bench vises have been achieved in this study. This is made
Accepted: June/2022 possible by providing an attachment consisting of a c-clamp and a ball-and-socket joint.
Published: June/ 2022 When fixed with the vise, the attachment gives circular rotation to the vise at different
planes, making it possible to clamp the vise to different benches where needed. It also
Keywords: Vise modification,
increases the height of the vise above the bench, which removes the bending posture of
Circular Rotation, Productivity,
users during operation, thereby increasing comfortability. The design analysis is clearly
ball-and-socket, c-clamp.
stated with the performance evaluation of the prototype.

1. INTRODUCTION
Machine design is primarily to create a new or improve the already designed or fabricated machine. An improved machine should be
more economical in terms of overall cost of production and operation when compared with the existing ones. Chougule and Waghmare
(2015) considered modification in design to be a process aimed at reducing the overall cost of the product, increasing the product's life,
efficiency and minimising material waste. Three major methods could be used in machine design to achieve this aim; these are adaptive,
development, and new designs (Khurmi and Gupta, 2010). In this study, the adaptive design, which is the process of modifying a
machine's existing design, was adopted to enhance the productivity and comfort of using the existing bench vise.
A bench vise is a tool used to hold or clamp a workpiece to allow operations such as cutting, filing, milling, drilling, grinding, etc. It is
usually made from cast iron with a fixed jaw and another parallel jaw which moves towards or away from the fixed jaw using the screw
(Chougule and Waghmare, 2015). A bench vise is commonly clamped to the top of the bench using bolts and nuts. This makes it relatively
fixed during operation, which makes the operator remove the workpiece if other sides of the workpiece have to be worked upon. The
need to tighten and un-tighten the jaws during operation is one of the limitations of the existing bench vise, coupled with the fact that
existing designs of vices are fixed to a particular bench which makes it impossible to be used elsewhere except on the bench where it is
fixed. The only conventional bench vise that is not fixed is the swivel-base vise. This type of vise can rotate through 360o around its base.
The body of the fixed jaw is connected to the base with a central bolt, which allows it to be rotated, but this only allows rotation on the
horizontal plane. With these limitations, Chougule and Waghmare (2015) suggested designing a rigid, flexible, cost-effective and highly
durable vise that will consider the users' safety and comfort.
Modern researchers have designed and developed different types of vise to modify the existing ones for better productivity and
comfortability. Avdiu et al. (2012) used the morphological matrix method to design a machine vise with features like; self-locking, plastic
jaw plate and swivel body. Sivasankaran et al. (2017) developed a machine vise with sliding link support with similar movements to a

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 Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 1, 01 - 07 (2022)
piston and connecting rod. In this vise, the cubic block produces sliding action with the support of a rectangular plate between the movable
jaw and the triangular piece. Further improvement was made to this vise by Sivasankaran (2018), resulting in a screw-less vice to
overcome the frequent wear and tear of the lead screw; this was achieved by incorporating a dowel pin into the base block of the movable
jaw. Hemachandran et al. (2020) designed a motor-operated vise that moves back and forth to hold the workpiece.
The vises, as mentioned earlier, were machine vises. Few modifications have been reported in the literature regarding the bench vise.
Chougule and Waghmare (2015) designed a C-clamp with a plate at the top that can be attached to the base of the fixed jaw of a bench
vise. This allows changing the location of the bench vise by fixing the C-clamp on any side of the bench where the vise is needed. This
modification makes the bench vise flexible to fix on any bench where it may be required. The introduction of a C-clamp to hold the vise
also makes it possible to raise the working position of the vise above the bench; by so doing, its productivity would be enhanced
(Makienko, 1984) also Akanbi et al. (2020) empirically showed that the comfort of an operator using vise is related to the height of the
vise above the ground.
Kadam et al. (2016) also designed a bench vise that could hold a workpiece which can rotate in any direction on a horizontal plane; one
part of the bottom is free to rotate, and the other part of the bottom is fixed to the bench. Considering the modifications made by Chougule
and Waghmare (2015) and Kadam et al. (2016) to the existing bench vise; the introduction of a C-clamp and a free "bottom part",
respectively, this study aimed to combine the two modifications in a design with an additional feature that will allow the rotation to be
done not only on the horizontal plane but also on a vertical plane.
2. METHODOLOGY

2.1. Description of the Existing Bench Vise and Its Limitations

The body of the bench vise, the movable jaw, and the fixed jaw is cast iron, while its handle, screw and nut are mild steel. The two jaws
have serrated steel plates fixed to the jaws using set screws which can be replaced when worn. The movable jaw moves with the aid of a
screw which passes through the nut that is fixed under it. The screw has a collar at the inner, which prevents it from coming out and a
handle at the outer end. The maximum opening of the jaws of common vises is between 95 and 180 mm, while the width of the jaws
varies from 80 to 140 mm (Maurya, 2020).
The major limitations of this type of vise are; its inability to hold small and soft metal due to the gripping pressure between the jaws.
Also, once it is bolted, it cannot be moved to other benches where it may be needed, and it can only allow horizontal plane rotation of
the workpiece. Figure 1 shows the diagram of a common bench vise.

Figure 1: A Typical Bench Vise

2.2. Description of the Modification (Attachment) Part of the Bench Vise
The modification part (the attachment) is shown in Figure 2. It consists of a base plate made of mild steel. The plate holds the bench vise
by attaching the bottom of the fixed jaw to the plate using bolts and nuts. The plate has an extension made of mild steel, which is welded
to the plate at one end and the ball joint extension at the other. The ball joint has a spherical end housed in a socket made from two mild
steel flat plates, upper and lower socket plates. These two plates have a key to lock the ball firmly inside the socket. The lower socket
plate serves as the upper end of the C-clamp. The C-clamp consists of the frame, power screw and handle for turning the power screw.

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 Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 1, 01 - 07 (2022)
With this C-clamp, the vise can be moved from one bench to another where needed, and the ball-and-socket arrangement allows the vise
to be rotated at both vertical and horizontal planes.

Figure 2: Modified Vise

2.3. Design Calculation

2.3.1 The holding plate: The holding plate, shown in Figure 3, was made from mild steel of 10 mm thickness, cut to hold the circular
base of the vise. The diameter of the holding plate is 135mm, which corresponds to the diameter of the base of the vise. The thickness of
the plate was chosen using Equation 1 (Khurmi and Gupta, 2010, pp.252).

P
t = k × d√ (1)
σa

Where: t is the thickness of the plate (mm), d is the diameter of the plate (mm), P is the load on the plate (N), σa is the allowable design
stress (N/mm2), and k is a constant that depends on the material of the plate and the method of holding the edges of the plate. In this
situation, k is 0.35 (Khurmi and Gupta, 2010, pp.253).
The loads to be carried by the plate are; the weight of the vise, the effort exerted by the operator during operation and the likely load of
the workpiece.

Figure 3: The Holding Plate

2.3.2 The ball and its extension: The ball was made from a steel rod and machined to a diameter of 34 mm. The diameter of the ball
was determined considering the contact area and the corresponding stress distribution between two spheres (ball and socket) using
Equation 2 (Juvinall and Marshek, 2017, pp. 358). The diameter of the ball extension is 29 mm, which was determined using the bending
moment equation. Figure 4 shows the diagram of the ball and its extension.

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 Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 1, 01 - 07 (2022)

1 1 2
3 P( − )
R1 R2
σb/s = 0.578 ( √ ⁄ 2 2) (2)
1−v 1−v2
( 1+ 2
)
E1 E2

Where: σb/s is the stress between ball and socket (N-mm-2), P is the load (N), R1 and R2 are the radii of the ball and socket (mm),
respectively, and v1 and v2 are the Poisson’s ratio of the materials for the ball and socket respectively, E1 and E2 are Young’s modulus of
the materials for the ball and socket (N/mm2) respectively. R1/R2 = a where “a” = 1.02.

Figure 4: The Ball and Socket with its Extension

2.3.3 The lower and upper socket plates: These plates were made from mild steel of 5mm and 6mm thickness, respectively. Holes w
ere drilled on the lower and upper plates, which serve as the socket for the ball (Figures 5a & 5b) using the clearance factor of 0.02 of th
e ball diameter (Juvinall and Marshek, 2017). The clearance between the ball and the socket allows for free rotation.

(a) (
Figure 5: Lower and Upper Socket Plates

2.3.4 The C-clamp power screw: This screw transmits the rotary motion to the linear motion, which provides the force required for
gripping the vise to the table (Figure 6). The minor diameter of the screw was determined using the equation for the screw under direct
compression stress, Equation 4 (Nisbett, 2008, pp. 404) and the corresponding nominal diameter and the pitch were found in the “Table
of Basic Dimensions of ISO Metric Screw Threads” (Juvinall and Marshek, 2017, pp. 376). From the table, a thread of M16 × 2 with a
stress area of 157 mm2 was selected.
σa = 4F⁄πd2 (4)
r

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 Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 1, 01 - 07 (2022)
Where: σa is the allowable stress of the material used for the screw (N-mm-2), F is the load carried by the screw (N), and dr is the m
inor root diameter (mm).

Figure 6: C-clamp power screw

2.3.5 The handle of the C-clamp: This handle (Figure 7) was made from a mild steel rod of 16 mm diameter machined to 10 mm di
ameter with a length of 150 mm. Though Khurmi and Gupta (2010, pp.660) suggested 300 - 400 N as a force that a person can apply to
turn a handle of a power screw, this study used 200 N as the minimum effort needed to turn the handle considering the possibility of it b
eing used by non-professional like students or trainees. The length of the handle was determined using Equation 5 (Juvinall & Marshek,
2017, pp. 380) and Equation 6.
Wd fπd +L Wf d
T = m( m )+ c c (5)
2 πdm −fL 2

𝑇 = 𝐹𝐿ℎ (6)

Where: T is the torque (N-mm), W is the load carried by the screw (N), dm is the mean diameter (mm), f is the coefficient of thread friction
(0.12), L is the lead (mm), fc is coefficient of collar friction (0.25), dc is the collar diameter (mm), and Lh is the length of the handle (mm).
The diameter of the handle was also determined using the relationship between the torque, allowable shearing stress and the radius of the
turning rod, Equation 7 (Dupen, 2016, pp. 55).
τJ
T= (7)
𝑟

Where: τ is the shear stress (N-mm-2), J is the polar moment of inertia of a circle (mm 4), and r is the radius of the handle (mm).

J is πd4/32.

Figure 7: C-clamp handle

3. FABRICATION AND TESTING

The modification part of the vise was fabricated at the Mechanical Engineering Department Workshop, Federal University of Technology,
Akure, using the results from the design analysis earlier discussed. The material used was locally available, and apart from the cost of the
main vise, the cost of the modification part was N45,750 ($111.10 as at 3rd January 2022). The vise was tested using it to hold a piece
of metal, and a filing operation was performed. The time needed in clamping and un-clamping the workpiece when different sections

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 Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 1, 01 - 07 (2022)
have to be filed was eliminated. Also, its mobility feature increases its usefulness in different places in the workshop. Its height which is
slightly above the top of the bench also removes the bending posture of the operator during operation. The complete modified vise with
the main vise and the modification part is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8: The Modified Vise

The ball and socket with its extension were also subjected to Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of SolidWorks 2020 software with a
maximum load comprising the weight of vise (24.5 N), the maximum force applied by an operator during the operation (577.2 N) and a
maximum load of a workpiece (98.1 N). Having the ball held upright, a force of 699.8 N was applied normally to the ball's surface and
socket extension made of mild steel materials. Figure 9 shows von Mises stress distribution of the applied force with the mild steel yield
strength of 2.206 × 108 N/m2and the ultimate stress of 4.352 × 107 N/m2distributed around the neck of the element, indicating the factor
of safety of 5. Therefore, the FEA result shows that the design is safe for use under the available specifications.

Figure 9: von Mises Stress Distribution of ball and socket with its extension

4. CONCLUSION

A bench vise is one of the most versatile tools in the fitting and assembly workshops which firmly support and hold the workpiece to
perform varying operations like; drilling, striking, filing, etc. The conventional bench vise was designed to be permanently fixed to the
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 Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 1, 01 - 07 (2022)
bench using bolts and nuts; this permanency makes its usage on another bench impossible. Also, one of the limitations of this vise is its
inability to be rotated to allow a workpiece to be worked upon from different surfaces, hence the need to clamp and un-clamp the
workpiece when other surfaces need to be worked on. This will increase the time spent on the operation (which invariably increases the
cost of production and reduce productivity) and the rate of wear of the screw. This study designed and fabricated a special attachment to
the existing bench vise that will eliminate these two major limitations of the existing bench vise. The attachment consists of a ball and
socket joint, which permits 360o rotation of the vise; both in horizontal and vertical planes. It also consists of C-clamp, which allows the
vise to be easily moved from one bench to another when needed. The C-clamp raises the level of the vise above the bench, which removes
an operator's bending posture during operation, thereby enhancing comfort.

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