Fixture/Jig Design

[ME Newb]

What are you guys using to design your fixtures and jigs? I'm pretty good at coming up with simple designs for parts but struggle with simple fixture design. Maybe I just haven't learned what to do in each basic situation. Any programs out there that aren't outrageous? Thanks

 

[DDoug]

"Fixtures & jigs" ?

Kind of a wide open question, need to firm up your request so we can advise further.

FWIW I now use inventor. Have used various 2-d CAD programs in the past.

I place the production part into my layout, and build my fixture around it.

 

[bryan_machine]

Like digger doug, but with solidworks.

I don't know of any special jig or fixture tools for the machining industry (there are special software products for developing stamping dies.)

Perhaps better to ask - How facile are you with derived parts, mates, assemblies, libraries of exsiting vises, jaws, buttons, clamps, and the like?

There are some books about workholding, one good one is buried away right now, but search on amazon - there are some design process and lists of examples books that might help.

 

[ME Newb]

"Fixtures & jigs" ?

Kind of a wide open question, need to firm up your request so we can advise further.

FWIW I now use inventor. Have used various 2-d CAD programs in the past.

I place the production part into my layout, and build my fixture around it.

Mainly talking about welding fixtures for brackets. Most are simple plates perpendicular to each other, sometimes they'll have a pipe welded inline with a plate.

I have a good bit of experience with Solidwork assemblies and derived parts. Do you just take the assembly, insert some planes at key points, and create plates shaped to support the assembly? You guys have an example pic you could post?

I'm looking into some light reading on the subject.

 

[DDoug]

Mainly talking about welding fixtures for brackets. Most are simple plates perpendicular to each other, sometimes they'll have a pipe welded inline with a plate.

I have a good bit of experience with Solidwork assemblies and derived parts. Do you just take the assembly, insert some planes at key points, and create plates shaped to support the assembly? You guys have an example pic you could post?

I'm looking into some light reading on the subject.

What does the assembly drawing specify ?

While I do put the part model into the fixture, I always refer to the drawing
of where things are to be located from, and in relation to what other
parts, datums, etc.

Also, always take into consideration the individual part tolerances.

 

[ME Newb]

What does the assembly drawing specify ?

While I do put the part model into the fixture, I always refer to the drawing
of where things are to be located from, and in relation to what other
parts, datums, etc.

Also, always take into consideration the individual part tolerances.

These are in-house parts. I'm the whole shop so just trying to increase efficiency.

 

[DDoug]

These are in-house parts. I'm the whole shop so just trying to increase efficiency.

Then make the part drawing in your mind.

 

[tnmgcarbide]

download the clamping and locating catalogs from Jergens , TeCo , DeStaco ,carr-lane and see what's available .
many successful fixture designs use common devices like toggle clamps , cams , set screws , wedges....

you have start somewhere . tool design is as much common sense and experience as it is textbook engineering.

 

[DethloffMfg]

We had a lot of interesting welding fixtures, from down and dirty routered wood boards with pins, to $35,000 fixtures, four in a row TIG welded by a robot.

Your part will drive the design. Think of the simplest, easiest way to do it, gauged against the volume of parts you do and the precision needed. I had some trick fixtures cut out of 1/4" aluminum that formed a box structure that surrounded a part, with pins to guide a flange and a spring loaded jaw to clamp things together. Problem part, very easy to use. We used a lot of De-Sta-Co clamps (like someone had a love affair with them) and those made things easy. Just depends on what you need!

Don't overthink stuff, that's easy to do when you're sending a fixture to the CNC machine to be made perfectly but the end user is a dude working sweaty 10-hour days to weld stuff together that's going together maybe by eyeball and deforming as it's welded. Simpler is better with welding fixtures, it's so hard to think out exactly how the left-handed dude with a long MIG gun is going to weld this joint in this fixture...

 

[Sanjv9473]

Jigs and fixtures

Jigs and Fixtures - Definitions, Types, Advantages, Differences - Marinerspoint

 

[M. Moore]

Fixture and jig design is directly related to how many you need to produce. The time spent making the jig is divided into each part therefore spending 20 hours making a jig to weld together 5 parts is a bit of a waste of time. ( to put it mildly)
If you don't understand that intrinsically then you are in the wrong profession. Please post the quantities that you regularly produce.
For basic welding setups there are many different welding tables that are fast and easy to set up with OEM clamps and fittings.

I had 300 small table bases to assemble from five separate parts and I spent quite a bit of time making a very good jig that would hold all the parts in perfect alignment for welding. It was very fast to use and made me some money on the job. I used De-staco clamps for holding all the parts and it was tricky to make it so the table base could easily be removed after welding.

 

[rogertoolmaker]

download the clamping and locating catalogs from Jergens , TeCo , DeStaco ,carr-lane and see what's available .
many successful fixture designs use common devices like toggle clamps , cams , set screws , wedges....

you have start somewhere . tool design is as much common sense and experience as it is textbook engineering.

Amen, Go after some fixture parts catalogs for starters. It gives you a leg up in designing fixtures.

Roger