Graham Engineering announced today that it has added a new extrusion clamp with electro-mechanical actuation to its American Kuhne product line.

The AutoGrip power clamp is safer and simpler to operate than manual devices and provides more repeatable clamping forces, according to York, Pa.-based Graham Engineering. It is designed to reduce downtime in installations with frequent screw, breaker plate, or tooling changes as well as to reduce the risk of injury or burns involved in manually releasing and tightening clamps during changeovers.

The AutoGrip clamp is remotely controlled by a two-hand pushbutton controller for user safety and convenience. The drive motor and gear box are mounted above the clamp, protecting them from melt residue and making them easy to access for maintenance.

“We have engineered the AutoGrip system with simplicity and safety in mind,” said Michael Duff, VP of sales and service for Graham Engineering, in a news release. “While manual clamps are difficult to operate and inherently dangerous, this new automatic system from Graham Engineering speeds up changeovers and is easy to maintain.”

The AutoGrip power clamp is available for extruder sizes of 3.5 in. (90 mm) through 6 in. (150 mm). In addition to applications involving new extruders, it can be retrofitted on many existing installations.