Commercially-available reconfigurable fixtures, used for holding compliant sheet metal, composite and plastic parts during secondary machining operations, are extremely expensive and overly-complicated devices. A computer-controlled, reconfigurable fixturing device (RFD) concept for compliant parts, based on a matrix of individually-stoppable pins lowered by a single rigid platen, has been developed as a simple and low-cost design alternative to commercially-available devices. Two different approaches to stopping and clamping individual pins have been investigated: a combination electromagnet assist and gas springs compressed with a toggle mechanism, and a pneumatic clamp. Simple mechanical models have been developed for predicting the stopping and clamping performance of both designs including pin positioning accuracy, vertical load-carrying capacity of a pin, and deflection of a pin subjected to lateral loads. An RFD prototype, consisting of a single pin actuated by a servoed platen, has been designed, built and tested. It has demonstrated the feasibility of this new RFD design. [S1087-1357(00)02204-8]
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November 2000
Technical Papers
Fixturing of Compliant Parts Using a Matrix of Reconfigurable Pins
Daniel F. Walczyk, Assistant Professor,
Daniel F. Walczyk, Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering & Mechanics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
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Randy S. Longtin, Research Assistant
Randy S. Longtin, Research Assistant
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering & Mechanics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
11
Search for other works by this author on:
Daniel F. Walczyk, Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering & Mechanics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
Randy S. Longtin, Research Assistant
11
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering & Mechanics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
Contributed by the Manufacturing Engineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. Manuscript received June 1999; revised Dec. 1999. Associate Technical Editor: E. DeMeter.
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. Nov 2000, 122(4): 766-772 (7 pages)
Published Online: December 1, 1999
Article history
Received:
June 1, 1999
Revised:
December 1, 1999
Citation
Walczyk, D. F., and Longtin, R. S. (December 1, 1999). "Fixturing of Compliant Parts Using a Matrix of Reconfigurable Pins ." ASME. J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. November 2000; 122(4): 766–772. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1314599
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