FIXES, a system for automatic selection of set-ups and design of fixtures

This paper reports on the development of a computer aided planning system for the selection of set-ups and the design of fixtures in part manufacturing. First, the bottlenecks in the present planning methods are indicated. A brief description is given of the CAPP environment PART, in which FIXES is incorporated. The planning procedure of FIXES consists of two parts: the selection of set-ups and the design of a fixture for each set-up. The automatic selection of set-ups is based on the comparison of the tolerances of the relations between the different shape elements of the part. A tolerance factor has been developed to be able to compare the different tolerances. The system automatically selects the positioning faces and supports the selection of tools for positioning, clamping and supporting the part. A prototype implementation of FIXES is discussed