intelligent fixtures
and fixturing
A current
growth area in manufacturing is for intelligent fixturing. An intelligent
fixture combines the intelligence of an automated PLC controlled
system with the flexibility and dexterity of a human to provide
a safe and quality assured method for assembly.
Production
logic has changed from batch production using dedicated techology
to Just-in-Time (JIT) or sequenced production, with increased range
of options or variants. This change means that suppliers need to
produce the increased number of variations of the part and as required
without producing stock. Lower volumes of each part are now required
with the increased number of variations. This means that full automation
is not normally justifiable, so production is best suited to using
the flexibility of a human operator with the 100% quality assurance
of correct assembly provided by the intelligent fixturing.
Intelligent
fixtures and fixturing provides the answer by allowing the part
specific data to be input into the fixture (eg. barcode scanning)
and then the operator can have a sequence of build or assembly displayed.
This assembly or production sequence would be monitored and the
release of the finished product would only be possible if the correct
parts have been assembled.
The examples
of intelligent fixturing shown here include the clip or peg detection
within a plastic moulding, the monitoring of fastener insertion
into a metal part (fastener type, position, torque, screw count),
and the detection of the correct cosmetic trim on an automotive
grille. Intelligent fixturing can vary from a large multipart fixture
that can handle a large number of variants without any tool changes
to smaller dedicated fixtures that allow an operator to correctly
assembly a single part variant.
TQC also design and manucture the
technology that sits either side of intelligent fixturing, jigs
and fixtures and fully automatic
assembly and test equipment. It is this experience across the
range of technology that allows the correct solution to be provided
for the customer for their production requirements.
TQC welcomes the opportunity to design
and manufacture intelligent jigs and fixtures to client specifications.
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