Specialty custom jig and fixture design and manufacturing

Thin pipe bending fixture

Specialty cable scoring fixture

Improve your mass production process by using specialty jigs and fixtures. Hold and guide your work pieces. Specialty jigs and fixtures provide repeatability, accuracy and interchangeability in your manufacturing process to duplicate parts. We can design and manufacturer your custom jigs and fixtures for your machinery.

Inspection fixture

Specialty jigs

Special device that holds, supports, or is placed on a part to be machined. It holds and guides the work piece. Drill jigs are used for drilling, tapping, reaming, chamfering, counter boring, countersinking, and similar operations.


Plate holder drill fixture for milling machines

Specialty fixtures

Production tools that locate, hold and support the work securely, so the required machining operations can be performed. Fixtures help simplify metalworking operations performed on special equipment. Examples of the more-common fixtures include milling fixtures, lathe fixtures, sawing fixtures, and grinding fixtures.

• Milling fixtures
• Surface-grinding fixtures
• Lathe fixtures
• Cylindrical-grinding fixtures
• Mechanical-assembly fixtures including threading, riveting, stapling, stitching, pinning, etc.)


Vortool Manufacturing

Vortool Manufacturing Ltd.

Unit 240 19358-96 Ave.

Surrey, BC V4N 4C1 Canada


Call: 604-239-7218 | Email


Made in Canada


Die shut height rod retainer and electronic die shut height finder

Die shut height rod retainer and electronic die shut height finder


Set the proper shut height for your die sets and mechanical presses to prevent jamming and costly downtimes.



Die shut height rod retainer and electronic die shut height finder

Electronic Die Shut Height Finder

Part No. EDSHF 2201

The Electronic Die Shut Height Finder can be used with any die tool that already have the Shut Height Rod Retainer unit, so you may need only one Electronic Die Shut Height Finder at your facility.

  • Dimensions: 1.5" x 2.625" x 2.25"

Includes switch, lamp, two gator clips and a 9V battery.

To test this unit: Turn switch on and contact the two gator clips to each other. The lamp on the unit should lite up. If the lamp does not lite up, change battery.

Removing battery: Remove the rear cover plate by unscrewing the two Philips head screws. Slide the battery out and remove it from the contact base.



Die Shut Height Rod Retainer and Electronic Die Shut Height Finder

Die Shut Height Rod Retainer

Part No. DSHRR 2202

The Die Shut Rod Retainer unit is a dedicated device, specific to a metal stamping die. Each stamping tool should have one and installed.

  • Dimensions: 1.5" x 1.5" x (6.25" or custom sizes are available)
  • Material: Black Delrin and steel
  • Limit Stop: ½-13 x (custom) based on Shut Height.
  • Material: Steel Rod Switch: ½-13 x (custom less 0.75 than Limit Stop).

Includes a long nose 5/16-18 steel spring plunger with Nylock.


Vortool Manufacturing

Vortool Manufacturing Ltd.

Unit 240 19358-96 Ave.

Surrey, BC V4N 4C1 Canada


Call: 604-239-7218 | Email


Made in Canada


Die shut height and limit atops for metal stamping dies

Most metal stamping tools have limit stops. Sometimes they are called bump stops, safety blocks or setting blocks (see red blocks on the image on the right). As a general practice, there are four round machined blocks that are bolted to the bottom die shoe. The four blocks' heights are usually ground together to the same length.

These blocks are used to set the shut height of the tool before stamping parts. These blocks set the deepest point that the tool can travel down at the bottom of the stroke. The top die shoe should never hit these blocks. The die shut height should be set about 0.010 or more above these blocks.

When the tool is in storage, the upper unit of the tool could rest on these blocks.

These blocks also have a purpose as safety blocks. They can protect expensive tooling components in case the tool is over stroked and go deeper than intended.

There are unfortunate events when the press could go deeper. This could happen at the setting time by accidentally adjusting the RAM to go too deep. As a result, the press and the tool jams. It is not an easy task freeing the tool and the press. On many occasions, the components require to be cut. Jamming could happen during production as well, even the shut height was set properly before. From impact hits and vibration, the RAM adjustment locking nuts may get loose and the RAM may go further down without being noticed. To undo a jammed tool and press is time consuming and expensive, also resulting in valuable downtime.



Die Shut Height Rod Retainer and
Electronic Die Shut Height Finder

Set the proper shut height for your die sets and mechanical presses to prevent jamming and costly downtimes.



Vortool Manufacturing

Vortool Manufacturing Ltd.

Unit 240 19358-96 Ave.

Surrey, BC V4N 4C1 Canada


Call: 604-239-7218 | Email


Made in Canada