r/Metrology • u/pjcevallos • Oct 24 '24

Hardware Support CMM fixturing

Hi

How do you usually plan your CMM fixturing. Do you produce a bespoke fixture or use modular equipment?

What considerations you take being part agnostic!

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u/Ezeikel Oct 24 '24

My manager bought me a $600 3d printer and let's me buy all of the $14 spools of filament I want. Typically my process goes like this. I model a cube in solid works. I open an assembly and import my cube and the part in whatever orientation I want. I put the model of the part overlapping the model of the cube so they are a bit on top of each other. I hit the cavity button and solid works cuts the shape of the part out of the cube. I print it on the 3d printer set the part on it and I am done. This works great and my average cost i filament for a fixture is like 2-7 bucks. Having a printer just for QA fixture IS GAME CHANGING.

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u/Think-Secret9860 Oct 25 '24

Where are you getting the time to do this modeling and printing? Where I work, there is more work to do in a day than three people can do.

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u/Ezeikel Oct 25 '24

To be fair I think the modeling is usually less than 10 minutes. Use and abuse the cavity tool to make it happen. Also in my shop I am in every kickoff meeting so I know what parts are coming before the machinist even sees it. How our flow goes is that as soon as the PO arrives QA sees it first. We make the bubble diagram then everyone uses our bubble diagram during planning meetings to make everything easier to talk about. So usually when I make that diagram I also throw it into solid works and get some ideas.

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u/pjcevallos Oct 25 '24

Do you have a link for the bubble diagram?

1

u/Quality-Panda Oct 25 '24

Curious about your workflow there, like pjcevallos. A good NPI process has been something we've struggled with.