Understanding the Jergens ZPS Workholding System

by Bernard Martin

A quick look at faster, more repeatable CNC workholding setups

If you spend any amount of time around CNC machines, you know setup efficiency has a direct impact on throughput. It doesn’t matter how fast the machine is or how optimized the toolpaths are — if setups are slow or inconsistent, that time comes straight out of productivity.  That’s where a zero-point workholding system like Jergens Zero Point System, ZPS, starts to make sense.

The ZPS system is designed to reduce setup time while maintaining high positioning accuracy and repeatability. It’s not a replacement for good fixturing practices; it’s a way to make those practices faster, more consistent, and easier to repeat across machines.

What the ZPS System Does
At a basic level, ZPS is a quick-change locating and clamping system. It allows fixtures, vises, pallets, or even parts themselves to be mounted and removed from a machine table in a single motion, without re-indicating each time.

Once the Jergens ZPS subplate modules are installed and indicated in, every fixture that mates to them returns to the same location with high repeatability. That means when a fixture comes off the machine and goes back on later — or moves to another machine set up the same way — it lands where you expect it to.

How It Works in Practice
The system is built around hardened locating subplate modules mounted to the machine table or pallet. Fixtures or plates are equipped with pull studs that engage those modules. When clamped, the modules pull the fixture down and center it simultaneously, locking it into position.

The result is repeatable location in X, Y, and Z without indicating. Modules are available in manual, pneumatic, or hydraulic versions depending on how automated you want the process to be.

Because everything is modular, the same machine can be set up to accept different fixture plates, vises, or part-mounted solutions without changing the base installation.

Why Shops Have Adopted Zero-Point Systems
The biggest advantage of ZPS is reduced setup time, especially on repeat jobs. Instead of spending time aligning and dialing in fixtures, the operator installs the fixture and starts cutting.

Accuracy and repeatability are another key benefit. When fixtures return to the same position every time, offsets stay consistent, probe routines are simplified, and the risk of setup-related scrap drops.

There’s also a flexibility advantage. Shops running a mix of parts, short runs, or multiple operations benefit from being able to change setups quickly without dedicating a machine to a single fixture for days at a time.

Where ZPS Makes the Most Sense
ZPS is commonly used on:

• Vertical and horizontal machining centers with frequent changeovers
• 4-axis and 5-axis machines where access and repeatability matter
• Palletized systems and cells running multiple fixtures
• Shops looking to standardize setups across multiple machines

In five-axis work especially, the ability to mount parts or fixtures directly to a low-profile plate improves tool access and reduces interference from traditional clamping hardware.

A More Predictable Setup Process
One of the less talked-about benefits of a zero-point system is predictability. When fixtures locate consistently, setup becomes a documented process rather than a variable one. That helps with scheduling, repeatability between operators, and confidence when jobs come back months later.

Instead of treating setup as a one-off task each time, ZPS allows shops to treat it as a controlled, repeatable operation — much like tool changes are handled in the spindle.

If setup time is something you track ZPS is worth a closer look as part of a broader workholding and process-standardization strategy.