Fixture Design
Fixture Design
Fixture Design
Design of Fixture
4.4 4.5
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Fixture is a workpiece-locating and holding device used with machine tools. It is also used in inspection welding and assembly. Fixture does not guide the cutting tool, but is always fixed to machine or bench. By using fixture, responsibility for accuracy shifts from the operator to the construction of machine tool. When a few parts are to be machined, workpiece clamp to the machine table without using fixture in many machining operations. However, when the numbers of parts are large enough to justify its cost, a fixture is generally used for holding and locating the work.
Objectives
After studying this unit, you should be able to understand the design consideration in fixtures, and types of fixture and its industrial application.
(b)
(c)
Clamps should be arranged so that they are readily available and may be easily removed. Clamps should be supported with springs so that clamps are held against the bolt head wherever possible. If the clamp is to swing off the work, it should be permitted to swing as far as it is necessary for removal of the workpiece. All locators clamps should be easily visible to the operator and easily accessible for cleaning, positioning or tightening. Provision should be made for easy disposal of chip so that storage of chips doesnt interfere with the operation and that their removal during the operation doesnt interfere with the cutting process. All clamps and support points that need to be adjusted with a wrench should be of same size. All clamps and adjustable support points should be capable of being operated from the fronts of the fixture. Workpiece should be stable when it is placed in fixture. If the workpiece is rough, three fixed support points should be used. If workpiece is smooth, more than three fixed support points may be used. Support point should be placed as farthest as possible from each other. The three support points should circumscribe the centre of gravity of the workpiece. The surface area of contact of support should be as small as possible without causing damage to the workpiece. This damage is due to the clamping or work forces. Support points and other parts are designed in such a way that they may be easily replaced if they break.
(i)
(j)
(k) (l)
(m)
Vise
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Figure 4.1(a) shows simple pair of jaws for holding round workpiece. Figure 4.1(b) shows pair of jaws for holding a thin sheet of non magnetic material. Stop pin is used to prevent bending of the workpiece by the application of clamping force.
Workpiece Stop Pin
Design of Fixture
Extended jaws for large workpieces are shown in Figure 4.1(c). Here guide pins are used to secure alignment. When it is necessary to hold the workpiece firmly in all the directions, wedge type jaws are useful. This arrangement is shown in Figure 4.1(d). If the pressure exerted by the cutting tool is likely to tilt upward one end of the workpiece, then the link construction as shown in Figure 4.1(e) should be used. It is suitable for rough casting and forging because it permits considerable variation in dimensions of workpiece.
Extended Jaws
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Direction of Cut
Hold-down Slots
Key
One must know the dimension of milling machine for designing the fixture. The various dimensions include the dimension of T-slots, centre-to-centre distance of T-slot, dimension of milling machine table and length of table travel in all three feed 58
movements. Tool designer should provide enough clearance space around hold down slots for a nut, washer and wrench. Clamps on mill fixture must be extremely rigid. Cutting forces may change as the cutter enters or leaves the workpiece and throw an extra load on clamps. Clamps should not be loosened by vibrations, which are caused by interrupted cutting by the mill cutter at the beginning and at the end of the cut. Clamp should be located opposite to bearing surfaces and locating points. These should be designed in a way so that these can be easily operated by the operator.
Design of Fixture
Rest Button
Figure 4.3
Rest blocks or bearing surfaces are located with the nest and provide support for the workpiece. These surfaces change in design according to the shape and size of workpiece. These are usually in the form of pins, pads or plates that are accurately placed in the base of fixture as shown in Figure 4.3. These surfaces are raised above the surface of base to permit chips to fall away and allow easy cleaning.
Clamping Slots
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Back Plate for Turning Fixture It consists of workpiece locating and clamping elements. These fixtures are generally used for facing turning and boring operation. The workpiece should be located correctly with respect to rotating machine spindle for all these operations.
Back Plate Location Spigot Fixture Clamping Holes Machine Spindle Nose
Design of Fixture
Clamping Threads
Example 4.1 For boring and turning, the axis of the bore or the outside diameter to be machined must be aligned with the machine spindle axis. Most of machines are provided with back plate, which is permanently mounted on the machine spindle. The back plate for turning fixture is shown in Figure 4.5. This plate is used to locate and clamp turning fixtures. Generally, outside diameter of the back plate is super finished. It is used for locating spigot for aligning axis of rotation of fixtures with machine spindle. Back plate is provided with three or more equispaced holes for clamping turning fixtures. Turning fixtures give quick loading, locating and clamping of workpieces in mass production.
Nest Plate
Workpiece Height
The maximum possible area of magnetic table should be utilized to grind as many workpieces as possible in a single batch.
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Example 4.2 Numbers of rounded workpieces are arranged in rows with common supporting nest plate around. Thickness of nest plate should be less than finished height of workpiece to prevent disturbance of the grinding wheel as shown in Figure 4.9.
Workpiece Workpiece Height
Magnetic Table
Nest Plates
For odd shapes workpieces with little variation in size, an epoxy resin nest can be used as shown in Figure 4.10. The nest prevents tilting and sliding of the workpiece during grinding operation.
Workpiece
Magnetic Table
SAQ 1
(a) (b) (c) (d) Explain necessary design consideration in fixtures. List different types of fixtures. Discuss in brief the working of turning and grinding fixtures. Explain the working of milling fixture.
4.4 SUMMARY
Fixture is used for locating and holding the workpiece. Fixture is always fixed to machine or bench. Fixture is generally used for mass production. Fixture reduces operators fatigue. The fixture also follows the principle of locating and clamping. The various types of fixture such as vise, milling, grinding, facing, turning, faceplate and boring fixture are explained with examples in this unit. The design of fixture depends upon the shape and size of workpiece. The fixture may be different for different workpieces. 62
Design of Fixture
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FURTHER READINGS
Pollack H. W., Tool Design, Reston Publishing Company, Virginia. Donaldson C., LeCain G. H., Goold V. C., Tool Design. Campbell P., Basic Fixture Design, Industrial Press Inc., New York. Joshi P. H., Jigs and Fixture, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company, New Delhi.
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TOOL ENGINEERING
Tool engineering is one of the important topics in the manufacturing processes. Without proper tool, it is difficult to manufacture a new product. You must also remember that if you get a tool and are making a product it is not a simple task. The tool should have a definite design and specifications with required quality. The maintenance and production of good quality tools will be the responsibility of the design engineer or tool design engineer. The tool design engineer must go through the specialised training. Tool design engineer must know about the manufacturing processes. He should be familiar with the manufacturing machines and tools used in the production. The tool designer must understand how tools perform their functions. So the knowledge of tool engineering plays vital role in the production of goods. In this course, we are discussing about the design and development of tools, fixtures, dies etc. used in the manufacturing of products. In Block 1, we are discussing about various types of cutting tools, like single point cutting tools, multipoint cutting tools, jigs and fixtures etc. It also discussed about the application of above tools in the manufacturing of products. Block 2 gives the clear picture about the principles of die making tools, design of sheet metal planning and piercing tools, design of forming tools and design of metal casting tools. In Block 3, the layout design for the tool engineering will be explained elaborately. It also describes the tools used for basic layout and basic layout operations etc. Lastly, it concludes with the layout work and safety issues. Finally, Block 4 covers various aspects of tool management in advance manufacturing systems, and design of guide ways and spindles. It also discusses about the design of machine structures and recent developments in tool design.
Design of Fixture
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