They not only meet the highest standards in terms of quality and function, but their design has also received numerous awards: the Hydro Expansion Chucks of the UNIQ series from MAPAL. After winning the IF Design Award in 2020 and the Good Design Award in 2021, the tool manufacturer from Aalen was also awarded the sustainability-focused Green Design Award in 2024.
When the precision tool manufacturer and technology partner MAPAL completely redesigned its Hydro Expansion Chucks in 2020, the focus was on making the entire product line even more efficient and durable for daily use. The new Hydro Expansion Chucks were to have a uniform appearance – with the requirement that the design guarantees maximum stability with optimal resource use.
In collaboration with the design agency Ottenwälder and Ottenwälder from Schwäbisch Gmünd, the product managers at MAPAL developed a new design concept for the product family. To emphasize the uniqueness of the redesigned chucks, they drew on the English word 'unique' for the naming.
The two Hydro Expansion Chuck series – UNIQ Mill Chuck and UNIQ DReaM Chuck – combine MAPAL's promise of quality and function, particularly through an optimal interplay of geometric and functional properties. Thanks to a newly developed polishing process for the UNIQ series, the high-gloss surface of the chuck is dirt and corrosion resistant.
In addition, MAPAL placed importance on making the application of the Hydro Expansion Chucks process-safe. The blue coloring of the actuation screw contributes to this. Custom-created signatures also include handling instructions. 'The MAPAL chucks have a significantly independent design language,' says Petra Kurz-Ottenwälder, managing director of the design agency Ottenwälder and Ottenwälder.
After the development was completed and the first clamping tools were available, the agency submitted the UNIQ Hydro Expansion Chucks for the iF Award in 2020 – and won. This was followed by the Good Design Award in 2021 and recently the sustainability-focused Green Design Award at the end of 2024.
'We are proud that we have won several internationally recognized awards with UNIQ,' says Tobias Bayerle. The development of the UNIQ series proves that one can provide added value to customers not only through practicality but also through product design. 'When you convince through performance and design, you have done many things right.'
Even more important to Bayerle is to emphasize that the UNIQ chucks were very well received by both existing and new customers from day one. 'Since the introduction of the UNIQ series, we have seen steady growth in this area,' he says.
Information about the Green Good Design Award
The latest award for MAPAL and the Gmünd agency Ottenwälder and Ottenwälder is the Green Good Design Award, which the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design annually honors companies and individuals who pay special attention to sustainable design. The two companies were recognized for the newly designed Hydro Expansion Chuck UNIQ.
Information about UNIQ series
A Hydro Expansion Chuck is suitable for reconditioning. When the hydraulic oil is refilled during service, the chuck is like new and ready for a second life. A UNIQ Hydro Expansion Chuck can achieve up to 15,000 clamping cycles, which is well above the average value of a shrink chuck.
Shrink devices are energy guzzlers, consuming up to 12,000 kilowatt-hours and 3.6 tons of CO2 annually. This is saved by using a UNIQ Hydro Expansion Chuck.
Additionally, a Hydro Expansion Chuck can be changed significantly faster. A shrink chuck takes between four and six minutes longer, which adds up over time.
Moreover, Hydro Expansion Chucks are much safer to handle. Almost every operator burns their fingers at least once in the hectic workday with a shrink chuck. With hydraulic clamping tools, there is no risk of burns.
Information about UNIQ Mill Chuck and UNIQ DReaM Chuck, 4.5°
UNIQ Mill Chuck: Reliable. Dynamic. Agile.
The UNIQ Mill Chuck is specifically designed for clamping milling tools with HA shank. With a high temperature resistance of 80 °C even during very long milling cycles, it excels in high-dynamic milling applications such as SPM (Structural Part Machining), HSC (High Speed Cutting), or HPC (High Performance Cutting), providing high-quality components with excellent process reliability and high material removal rates. It is universally suitable for roughing, semi-finishing, and finishing operations.
UNIQ DReaM Chuck, 4.5°: Visionary. Flexible. Economical.
The UNIQ DReaM Chuck, 4.5° is optimized for reaming and drilling applications as well as for use with finishing mills. It allows for maximum rigidity with minimal interference contour due to the clamping introduction in the HSK shank, using less material. The outer contour of the UNIQ DReaM Chuck is directly based on DIN 69882-8 for warm shrink chucks. This makes transitioning from shrink technology to Hydro Expansion Chucks very easy.
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