Designing a User-friendly Link Part Machining Fixture
The Need
A client that produces material handling devices reached out to AME with the goal of improving their link parts-per-cycle and developing longer-lasting fixtures. Their original setup utilized soft steel and required frequent replacements and maintenance. In addition, they were moving from a vertical machining center (VMC) to a multi-pallet horizontal machining center (HMC) requiring a new fixturing solution.
The Product
AME engineers developed an original tombstone-mounted fixture concept and collaborated with this client to test and analyze its performance. After the first attempt, the client realized their fixture would need to accommodate parts that may not be completely symmetrical, and therefore would require more clearance in their assembly. This presented a design challenge but brought our engineers to a second “phase” of development for this fixture.
The second and final fixture design featured a new clamping system that required a larger tombstone but also featured significantly more secure part holding. Wide clamps force the part to lay flat despite inherent part variability and allow for more accurate milling. In this iteration, bumpers were added as a Poke-Yoke feature to aid loading, and a cam screw was included to help eliminate vibration.
The End Result
Created with the operator’s ease of use in mind, this second-generation fixture almost immediately replaced the client’s original fixturing setup. With this new solution, the company can machine six times as many parts simultaneously, and its nitride-hardened clamping components require minimal maintenance.