Check the actual clamping pressure on a part from a vise or clamp, so soft or thin-walled material does not get crushed or marked.
Pressure = clamping force / contact area. The same clamping force spread over a smaller contact area, such as serrated jaws or a narrow strap, produces much higher local pressure than flat soft jaws over a wide area.
How it works
Vise and toe clamp ratings are usually given as total force, but what actually marks or crushes a part is the pressure at the contact patch. Knowing the contact area lets you check whether a given setup is safe for a softer material or a thin wall before clamping down.
FAQ
What pressure is safe for aluminum or plastic? It depends heavily on the specific alloy or polymer and surface finish requirements, but switching to soft jaws or pads to spread the load over a larger area is the usual fix when marking shows up.
Related Guides
CNC Calculators · Workholding Clamping Force Calculator · Material Removal Rate (MRR) Calculator