Jigs and Fixtures

What are jigs and fixtures? Used to hold and guide work pieces Used to accurately manufacture duplicate parts

 A jig is a device that holds and locates a piece of work and guides the tools that operate upon it. A fixture is a device designed and built for holding a particular piece of work for machining operations. Jigs and fixtures allow mass production of consistent quality. They also give added safety by confining waste

Difference between Jig & Fixture

Jig 1. Used to guide and hold the workpiece 2.Used to drilling and related operations only Fixture 1.Only hold the workpiece 2. Used for milling, boxing,grinding,shaping

3. It is lighter in weight & construction

4.It reqires drill bushes

3. It is heavier in weight & construction

4. It require setting block

Degrees of freedom

Figure 3-1. The twelve degrees of freedom

Degrees of freedom
As shown in Figure 3-1, the twelve degrees of freedom all relate to the central axes of the workpiece. Notice the six axial degrees of freedom and six radial degrees of freedom. The axial degrees of freedom permit straight-line movement in both directions along the three principal axes, shown as x, y, and z. The radial degrees of freedom permit rotational movement, in both clockwise and counterclockwise radial directions, around the same three axes.

 A workpiece free in space can move in an infinite number of directions. For analysis, this motion can be broken down into twelve directional movements, or "degrees of freedom." All twelve degrees of freedom must be restricted to ensure proper referencing of a workpiece.

Basic Categories of Jigs

Clamps Chucks Vises Bushings Modular Fixtures

Figure 3-2. The three forms of location: plane, concentric, and radial.

Clamps

Figure 3-3. Solid, adjustable, and equalizing supports locate a workpiece from a flat surface.

Bushings

Avoiding Redundant Location

Another condition to avoid in workholder design is redundant, or duplicate, location. Redundant locators restrict the same degree of freedom more than once. The workpieces in Figure 3-15 show several examples. The part at (a) shows how a flat surface can be redundantly located. The part should be located on only one, not both, side surfaces. Since the sizes of parts can vary, within their tolerances, the likelihood of all parts resting simultaneously on both surfaces is remote. The example at (b) points out the same problem with concentric diameters. Either diameter can locate the part, but not both. The example at (c) shows the difficulty with combining hole and surface location. Either locational method, locating from the holes or locating from the edges, works well if used alone. When the methods are used together, however, they cause a duplicate condition. The condition may result in parts that cannot be loaded or unloaded as intended.

Figure 3-15. Examples of redundant location.