Design of Modular Fixture for CNC Machining Center

The current practice of clamping workpiece for Mazak Variaxis 630 5x II is
impractical since different clamping component or fixture was installed repeatedly such
as jaw chuck and movable vise to clamp different shape of the workpiece. This practice
has increase the setup time of the machine as it covers installing and uninstalling of the
fixture. Therefore, in order to reduce the setup time of the machine, a new fixture need
be designed to clamp variable shapes and dimensions of the workpiece using the same
fixture. Thus, this project objective is to design a fixture with higher flexibility namely
modular fixture where it suits with this kind of situation. The first step in designing a .
fixture was to determine the shapes and dimensions of the workpiece. Then, the external
forces were calculated where the cutting force and cutting torque were determined. After
external forces are evaluated, the planning to position the equipment such as locator,
support and clamps were performed. After fixture planning was done, the design concept
was generated by using several methods such as conceptual decomposition, functional
decomposition, morphological chart, and lastly Pugh's concept selection to select the
best and practical concept. The design was then analyzed especially the clamping force
of the clamps. The final phase of this project was to select the required material followed
by the final assembly and detailed drawings of each component of the modular fixture.
From the analysis performed, it is proven that the developed design is capable to
withstand the external forces acting on the fixture.