A method for calibrating a plurality of clamping mechanisms, to be used for clamping different regions of a workpiece, having the same thickness dimension, upon a support surface with a predetermined clamping force, comprising the steps of:
- determining the thickness dimension of a particular workpiece to be clamped upon a support surface;
- predetermining the amount of clamping force to be generated by a clamping mechanism when the clamping mechanism is clampingly engaged with the particular workpiece so as to securely clamp the particular workpiece upon said support surface by means of said predetermined clamping force;
- utilizing a first clamping mechanism which can generate a predetermined amount of clamping force as a function of an incremental degree to which said first clamping mechanism is to be compressed;
- inserting a master calibration block, having a thickness dimension which is less than said thickness dimension of said particular workpiece by an amount which is equal to said incremental degree to which said first clamping mechanism is to be compressed, onto said support surface;
- movably adjusting said first clamping mechanism, with respect to said master calibration block disposed upon said support surface, in a first direction until said first clamping mechanism is disposed at a position with respect to said master calibration block wherein said first clamping mechanism is disposed in non-compressed contact with said master calibration block disposed upon said support surface;
- locking said first clamping mechanism at said adjusted position with respect to said master calibration block;
- and
- repeating said steps of utilizing clamping mechanisms which can generate predetermined amounts of clamping force as a function of incremental degrees to which said clamping mechanisms are to be compressed;
- inserting said master calibration block onto said support surface and movably adjusting each one of said plurality of clamping mechanisms, with respect to said master calibration block disposed upon said support surface, in said first direction, until each one of said plurality of clamping mechanisms is disposed at a position with respect to said master calibration block wherein each one of said plurality of clamping mechanisms is disposed in non-compressed contact with said master calibration block disposed upon said support surface;
- and locking each one of said plurality of clamping mechanisms at said adjusted position with respect to said master calibration block,
- whereby when said plurality of locked and calibrated clamping mechanisms are used to clamp said particular workpiece, having said thickness dimension which is greater than said thickness dimension of said master calibration block by said amount which is equal to said incremental degree to which each one of said plurality of clamping mechanisms is to be compressed so as to generate said predetermined amount of clamping force, upon said support surface, each one of said calibrated clamping mechanisms will undergo said incremental degree of compression equal to the difference between said thickness dimensions of said master calibration block and said particular workpiece so as to generate said predetermined amount of clamping force upon said workpiece disposed upon said support surface whereby all of said different regions of said workpiece will be clamped with the same level of clamping force so as to thereby securely clamp said workpiece upon said support surface.