System and method for clamping a component of an aircraft engine undergoing a manufacturing process

A system for use in the manufacturing of an aircraft engine, the system comprising:

• a component of the aircraft engine to be machined, the component to be machined having an opening leading to an inner cavity in an axial direction, the inner cavity having an inner wall with a tapered portion extending axially and a surface to be clamped extending radially outwardly from the opening to the tapered portion;
• and
• a clamping device for clamping the component to be machined, the clamping device including a base, a shaft displaceable relative to the base in the axial direction and inserted through the opening of the component to be machined, and a clamp coupled to the shaft, the clamp movable, based on a position of the shaft relative to the base, between an undeployed state in which the clamp is free of contact with the inner wall of the component to be machined and a deployed state in which the clamp engages the surface to be clamped to axially retain the component to be machined.