Development of Computer-Aided Design Software for Jigs and Fixtures for Drilling Flanges

A detailed review of relevant literature was carried out to provide basic information on the design and construction of jigs and fixtures. Also, the documentation of acquired data for the purpose of developing a suitable design process using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) was carried out. Computer software that would automatically draw the needed jigs and fixtures from the data of the flange (object) was developed. A description of the design requirements and constraints was obtained by considering the different configurations of the work piece. A geometric model of the fixture was developed and analyzed for kinematics, force and deformation compatibility. A heuristic algorithm was developed and a program was written using the default package of Java language. The program is user-friendly and was written in modules to allow for flexibility and quick responsiveness. The program was validated with real life sample data from a work piece