Abstract
Conventional design of jigs and fixtures has become unsuitable given the requirements of modern technology and complexity and diversity in the production with the rapid update of products. Computer-aided design (CAD) of jigs and fixtures is an effective solution in this direction. The current paper focuses on a computer-aided design of the traditional jigs and fixtures and developed a system containing tailor-made software, created using the Visual Basic programming language and installed on it the viewer screen to show the part. The developed system has been built by connecting Visual Basic programming language to the SolidWorks software on which the part is drawn and saved as STEP AP-203 file format, and the system reads and extracts the data from the STEP AP-203 file. Heuristic rules of feature recognition are pre-prepared for checking the extracted geometric data and deciding which data shape will represent the machining feature; then, the system provides the optimum design of the traditional jigs and fixtures for a group of hollow cylindrical parts that contain a group of cross-holes on the cylinder body, whether perpendicular or offset from the cylinder’s axis, (inclined or inclined offset, or blind or through, by applying pre-prepared heuristic rules for the design of traditional jigs and fixtures.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilJigs and fixtures are devices which are widely used in manufacture; they provide guidance for the tool and supporting, locating, and holding for the workpiece during manufacturing process
Heuristic rules of feature recognition are pre-prepared approach, in which the system starts to read the STEP AP-203 file and search for for checking the extracted geometric data and deciding which data shape will represent (B_Spline_Curve_With_Knots) string which indicates the existence of the cross-hole feature
The system creates a geometrical data report of all the part features according to the data extraction rules, and this report helps in feature recognition and design of traditional jigs and fixtures for the part
Summary
Developed a complete system for automated fixture design; this system recognizes manufacturing features in the CAD model, determines set-ups, and generates the fixture configuration based on the 3-2-1 locating principle. Presented an expert system for performing the fixture design task and generated a list of fixturing recommendations including the locating and base elements for the fixture. Used a technique integrated into a computer-aided fixture design system based on a process-oriented approach. Proposed a system of fixture design in which an appropriate workpiece was found in the first level of the database by applying design requirements This allowed the proper conceptual fixture design to be achieved by retrieving a related fixture case from the second level. Proposed a methodology for computer-aided positioning of functional fixture elements regarding the technological part parameters; this system reduced the fixture design time of the drilling, milling, and boring operations and improved the fixtures‘. After reviewing the previous studies and research, it becomes clear that there is a need for a developed system to recognize the combined and interacted features such as the cross-hole feature and design the appropriate traditional jigs and fixtures
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