IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology

eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

RECENT TRENDS IN COMPUTER ADIED FIXTURE DESIGN:

REVIEW ON APPROACHES
Harshita S. Umale1, Nilesh H. Khandare2, Rajkumar D. Palhade3
1

Student, Mechanical Department, S.S.G.M.C. Shegaon, Maharashtra, India

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Department, S.S.G.M.C. Shegaon, Maharashtra, India
3
Associate Professor, Mechanical Department, S.S.G.M.C. Shegaon, Maharashtra, India
2

Abstract
The smart consumer demands for quality product along with the variety, so to cope up with this demand we need a smart market
too, having quality and variety as its key factors. For effective respond to this demand we need efficient flexible manufacturing
methods, which will let us to gain fast product development. According to studies, fixtures play a very vital role in product
manufacturing quality, productivity and cost of the product. Hence designing a fixture according to requirements of the process is
very crucial work. This paper is a review of literature survey about Computer Adied Fixture Design and its approaches. It
includes the basic importance of fixture and appropriate fixturing techniques, also the design consideration and requirements that
are the non negligible factor while fixture designing. It deals with how proper fixture and fixturing techniques are directly
proportional to the problem free machining.

Keywords: Computer A Died Fixture Design, Design Considerations, Unit Design, Fixture Verification, Collision
Detection, Error Analysis.
-------------------------------------------------------------------***----------------------------------------------------------------------1.

INTRODUCTION

Fixture in an instrument used to hold the workpiece at one

place firmly and stable for maintaining the accuracy while
machining, assembly, inspection and other operations are
been carried out on the work piece. A fixture is composed of
locators and clamps. Locator is a device that works for
specifying the location and orientation of a workpiece, on
the other hand clamps helps in holding the work piece by
exerting clamping forces so that the workpiece is pressed
tightly against locators.

In earlier days the fixture design methods were based on the

designer experience, his knowledge and conclusion about
the workpiece, and was tested on trial and error basis, also
this was more time consuming.
The market is speedily ascendant and vastly competitive,
which forces and also encourages the manufacturing sector
for more and more attention on the improved quality and
accuracy of the product. Fixture plays a very vital role in
this case, and hence we need a very precise design of our
fixture so that it can perfectly do its job of holding the
workpiece in less time.

Study says, when the workpiece is fixed on the particular

fixture for performance of any operation, then the precision
level of the operation is directly proportional to the
efficiency of the fixturing method. It is clear that particular
fixture should be selected according to the properties of the
work piece and the nature of operation going to be
performed on it.
Following are the design considerations for fixture:

Type and capacity of machine.

Size, shape, weight, material of the component.
Method of loading and unloading.
Method of clamping.
Provision for power operated devices if needed.
Problem of vibration.
Safety aspects.
Provision for fixing a body on a table.
Method of manufacturing
Simplifying the design in order to economise the cost.

Fig 1: A dedicated tube bending fixture [10]

2.

COMPUTER ADIED FIXTURE DESIGN:

Unlike in every field computer is also been used for

designing a fixture in the form of Computer Adied Fixture
Design. This part focuses on recent CAFD research work,
concentrating on the procedure that is based on the four
major steps for designing a fixture. Fig no 1.

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IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology

Plan a set up
Plan a Fixture
Design a Fixture unit

Verification

Fig 2: Steps in CAFD.

2.1

2.1.4 Verification
During verification it is checked that whether designed
made by us satisfactorily fulfills all ourdesired requirements
or not. Number of design parameters are taken under
consideration like cost of fixture, weight of fixture,
assembly time required, both the loading and unloading time
for the workpiece on the fixture etc. There are some
fixturing requirements which are verified in this stage.

Generic
requirements
Physical

Four Main Phases In Computer A died

Fixture Design Process Are

There are main four phases if computer adied fixture design,
which successively works in this sequence to get a fruitful
output in form of desired fixture.
2.1.1 Set up planning
Setup planning deals with the different arrangement
necessary to carry out manufacturing operations, and the
work to be done at each setup. A setup mainly works on
grouping possible number of processes that are going to be
done on the workpiece by an indivisual setup
with
minimum or no changes in the orientation of workpiece. For
example machining processes like, pocketing, drilling,
making hole etc are processes in which material removal
takes place, combining all this process to be done in single
setup is the main task in setup planning.[1]
2.1.2
Fixture planning
In fixture planning, identification of the exact location of the
locating and clamping points on the workpiece, also
specifying the area of workpiece on which the locators and
clamps are needed to be act. The arrangement and location
of the locating points should be in such a way that the
workpiece should remain properly constraint during the
performance of machining or manufacturing processes on it.
Various factors like tolerance, affordability, collision
prevention etc. are taken under consideration during fixture
planning.[1]
2.1.3
Fixture unit design
Designing an unit includes both the therotical and thorough
information of the clamps and locators of a fixture, which
are fixed on the base plate. This part includes locating
devices or clamping devices which acts as a mediator
between work piece and a structural support to which they
are attached hence gets connected with the base plate. The
role of structural support is to provide rigidity to the locating
and clamping unit so that they can endure various forces that
are going to act on them while machining, and keep the
workpiece undisturbed at the desired place. [1]
Frequently traditional geometric based designing tools are
used in manufacturing, for example, CAD approaches, like
Pro/Engineer and Unigraphics are frequently used as design
implements for designing fixture. [2]

eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

Endurance

Constraints

Affordability

Collision
prevention

Usability

Safety

Table -1
Conceptual requirements instances
The fixturing device should be
strong and sturdy enough to hold the
workpieces.
The fixture must not create any
obstacle during the machining of the
workpiece.
Endurances at locators of fixturing
device must be enough to fulfil the
component design endurances.
Mobility of the workpiece should be
restricted by the Fixture. The
movement of workpiece should be
strictly avoided.
It should be checked that no damage
or deformation should be occurred in
both workpiece and fixture. Incase if
it occurs design is needed to
rechecked.
The design fixture should be cost
effective. The cost should be
estimated considering the purpose of
our fixture.
The time for assembling the fixture
should be less.
Also the loading and unloading of
the workpiece on the fixture should
be convenient
The fixture should not create any
kind of hurdle in between the
workpiece and tool.
Care should be taken to avoid 1)toolfixture collision, and 2)fixturefixture collision.
Fixture should provide ease in
machining operation, by guiding the
tool according to the workpiece
shape required.
Fixture should be of proportionate
weight.
Fixture should not be a reason for
any damage to the workpiece.
Fixture should be designed in such a
way that there should not be any
scope of miss aligned workpiece
arrangement.
Fixture should be safe for the
worker, who is going to work on it.

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IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology

2.1.4.1. Verification of physical requirements

While designing a fixture the very first point needed to be
considered is the purpose of the fixture, according to that the
design should be proposed. The shape and size of the
workpiece is needed to be studied, and then a fixture should
be designed which will be able to bear the load of the
workpiece, the forces acting on the workpiece while
machining is performed. Fixture must permit the
requirement of the workpiece feature to be machined.
2.1.4.2. Verification of constraints
The main purpose of the fixture is to place the workpiece at
one place, to strictly restrict its movement. While designing
the fixture it is necessary that it should fulfill this
requirement. While the machining is done on the workpiece
held in the fixture, many forces acts on both the workpiece
and fixture. So while designing we should ensure that this
forces must not affect the work piece of fixture. No damage
or dents should occur on them. The proper location of the
clamps is also an important factor in this case.
2.1.4.3. Verification of affordability and usability of
fixture
Considering the cost of the fixture is a important, but is
slightly neglected. The cost of fixture should be affordable
to the customer.Time requirement for assembling the fixture
should be less, so that it will save time. Also the loading and
unloading of the workpiece on the fixture should be
convenient. Our fixture design should not cause change in
properties or parameters of the workpiece.
2.1.4.4. Verification of Collision requirement
There should be no interference of fixture during the
machining process. In this approach we detect that a) is our
fixture causing any kind of hurdle in the tool path while
machining, b) is there any collision between workpiece and
fixture, c) does the fixture parts collides with each other. If
any of the above case occurs, it becomes necessary to check
the design again. Collision may also occur while clamping
the work piece of the fixture, so it essential to work on
collision free clamping.
Number of recent CAD approaches are able to execute
fixturefixture impact identification, whose examination is
done by geometric constraint for finding a solution to fortify
that collision of fixture components is restricted apart from
their allotted connection spots [13].
Investigating the fixture and tool path collision is a critical
work. Kumar et al. [5] used a cutter swept volume method,
in this method extrusion operation is done on the cross
sectional area of cutting tool to achieve a swept volume. A
static interference check is then done to make check if this
swept volume befall on any part of the fixture and, if impact
takes place. Roy and Liao [6] didnt just checks area of
impact but additionally gave shortcut methods to maintain
foundation and clamp spots in such a way that impact
occurrence will be avoided, in short that the workpiece
wont get fixed until it is properly aligned on the fixture. It
will also increase the safety.

eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

2.1.4.5. Deformation and error analysis of fixtureworkpiece system

A flaws at certain location of the part to be operated are
caused due to failure of locating spot, geometric flaws in
surface touched locating devices, and the datum geometric
failure of part to be operated, due to which in a machined
feature linked form flaw is occurred. According to ( M.Y.
Wang) the chief three causes for error due to position of
fixture are: (a) Main cause of the fixel flaws of the locating
device is difference in the location of a locator. (b) Second
cause is difference in the geometric structure of the locating
device, like profile endurance defined for a circular locating
device. When process is carried out, the fixel error is also
seen due to the physical distortion in the locating device
for example wearing and tearing of the locator. (c) The next
cause is linked to geometric differences which is present in
the physical datum element of the part. [2]

CONCLUSION
This paper focuses on the design considerations and vital
requirements of fixture designing. It gives review of CAFD
approaches in the form of stages used in the computerized
designing process. It is earlier known that improvement in
computer adied fixture design is beneficial in aspects like it
is very accurate, highly efficient, reduced arrangement time
of the setup and loading and unloading time, and minimized
cost. Computer adied fixture design system is strongly
expected to be more robust, dynamic, accurate and safe than
a manually designed fixture. It provided u an efficient
fixture that helps in increasing the quality of the product, we
get an precise and well finished product in less time. CAFD
focuses on the vital requirements of the fixturing, on getting
the fixture design ready, verification is done and it is
checked if we have satisfied them.
Fixture design is a part of manufacturing process, and it
should follow to the main purpose of workpiece
manufacturing requirements which are linked with
production resources, cost of equipment, and machining
operations, etc. Hence , it is essential to include the fixture
design task into the complete manufacturing process to
accomplish the best fixture design as a solution.
It can be clearly seen that nearly all the article is
highlighting area of fixturing techniques used in
manufacturing area. Other than the conventional machining
area, there are vast application of fixturing devices in
various trades of manufacturing firms. We have a chance
for further exploration in designing a fixture with the help of
computer in this area. According to table-1 there are some
essential and required design considerstions.
Moreover, drift in flexible production techniques and
specialised small manufacturing firms will recommend more
wide observasions, deep study and analysis on the utility
and suitability of computer adied fixtures and assigned
fixturing devices.

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IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology

eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The writer is thankful to all the referees, for there useful
research which substantially helped in improvement of the
article. We are happy to express our gratitude from the
Mechanical Dept. of Shree Sant Gajanan Maharaj College of
Engg Shegaon, Maharashtra, India.

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