Clamping mechanism for clamping sheet metal workpieces

A clamping mechanism for locating and clamping sheet metal components to be subjected to a machining process, comprising:

• a fixed support element;
• a carrier plate including a first contact area configured to support the sheet metal components in a machining position, the carrier plate connected to the fixed support element by fixing bolts;
• a carrier member connected to the carrier plate;
• a clamping jaw rotatably fixed to the carrier member and including a second contact area configured to clamp the sheet metal elements to be subjected to the machining process, the clamping jaw movable between:
• a clamping position in which the first contact area of the carrier plate is adjacent to the second contact area of the clamping jaw and in which the first contact area and the second contact area are arranged to interact to clamp the sheet metal components therebetween;
• and
• an opening position in which the first contact area of the carrier plate is distanced from the second contact area of the clamping jaw;
• and
• an intermediate plate arranged between the carrier plate and the support element, the intermediate plate positioned relative to the carrier plate by a first set of locating pins and positioned relative to the support element by a second set of locating pins.