holdlets

Holdlets are small, modular devices used to hold, position, or stabilize components temporarily within a workflow. They are designed to provide quick, low-profile securing that can be removed without damaging surfaces, making them useful in assemblies, inspections, or transfers between stations.

Holdlets come in several families. Passive holdlets rely on friction or a form-fit interface, while active holdlets include magnetic, spring-loaded, or cam-based mechanisms. Common materials are stainless steel, aluminum, and high-strength polymers, often with soft or non-marring coatings. Magnetic holdlets use a non-marring pad or ferrite cup to protect surfaces, whereas spring-loaded variants offer adjustable bite and consistent contact force. Adhesive or tack-on holdlets attach temporarily to surfaces and can be removed with minimal residue when using low-adhesive formulations.

Applications span electronics manufacturing, woodworking, glasswork, jewelry making, photography, and laboratory settings. In PCB assembly, holdlets can secure boards during soldering; in wood and glass work, they stabilize pieces for routing or grinding without clamps that may leave marks. They are frequently used in modular fixturing, jig design, and rapid prototyping.

Design considerations include hold capacity, surface finish, material compatibility, environmental resistance, and reusability. The term holdlet appears in trade literature and digital catalogs from the late 20th century onward, though exact origins are informal and vary by industry.

See also clamps, fixtures, vices, and jig components.