Watch Innovative Fixturing Makino demonstrates the latest techniques and technologies in fixturing. Check out presentations on fixture economics, fixture design, modular fixturing, new technology in CNC workholding as well as case studies of shops using innovative fixturing.
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I'll talk briefly about some modular fixturing concepts and then get into a couple of traditional fixture designs. This video is courtesy of Curt Manufacturing, their Industrial Products Division. What we're showing here is something many of you may be familiar with. It is more less a manual, modular type fixture, and a number of different part varieties if you go into it. But on the right side of your screen you see a different kind of system. This is a pretty clever system for modular fixturing based on a precision locating system. There are a number of advantages to this. It falls along the lines of lean manufacturing because you'll have a significant impact on reducing your setups. As we look at this video I'll talk a little bit more about this precision locating system.

And here I thought it'd be a good idea to show you a simulation of a precision locating system. As you're looking at this, think about your manufacturing challenges. What's really clever about this system is that number one, your setup changes can be done parallel to machining because you're taking an adaptor plate with your fixture on it which can repeat within a couple of tenths onto the main fixture. So you can be machining parts with the sub blades off line from the machine tool. You could then locate your part onto the adaptor, which is all qualified, and then take the adaptor and put it on the main base fixture as you're watching there in the simulation. And so work's set up is done parallel to machining reducing your setup times significantly.

Another advantage is that the part can rotate around with the ability to rotate the adaptor blade and then repeat it back. Basically you can do five- and six-face processing without unclamping the part from its fixture. You can instead rotate that adaptor plate, which can be a real timesaver and again a way to get rid of waste in the manufacturing process.

One thing to note is you'd need to put these type of locators into your tables or pallets on the machine tool across for your whole shop and have adaptor plates, everything qualified to a machine. The plates would be qualified to your machine eliminating the time that would normally be associated with a new part setup, resulting in a huge reduction in setup times.