3D Printed Fixtures

The Quality Control team measures the injection molded parts to ensure they meet the required specifications. To do this a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is used. However, if the part being fixed onto the CMM table is irregular or curved, it can prove to be a challenge. Using the variety of standard CMM jig/fixture blocks to make a temporary holding post, required a lot of time, and introduced inaccuracies due to slight movement in the part. The goal was to improve the workflow of the Quality Inspectors and allow them to be more efficient and accurate. This was solved in two parts.

The first involved creating a custom container (see first image in the Photos section) for the organization of the standard CMM jig/fixture blocks. This allowed the Quality Inspectors to be able to quickly find the specific blocks they needed quickly and easily.

The second way was to create custom fixtures for high volume parts, which were measured often. This way, the inspectors can just clamp or bolt the fixtures to the CMM table and then just place the part into the fixture before taking the measurements. This allow for quicker set up and increase accuracy due to the fixtures reducing the movement during measurements.

These were all designed in SolidWorks using parts and assemblies. Using the CAD model of the part, the fixtures were designed taking into consideration, the orientation, key surfaces and datums required for the measurements. Depending on the part, the surrounding environment was also modelled to ensure a working fixture. Lastly, the fixture was tolerenced to account for the shrinkage from the 3D printing process.