Jigs and Fixtures
Intorduction
Jigs and fixtures are a manufacturing staples, they help to reduce the cost of manufacturing, increase productivity, ensure precision and repeatability of assembly processes, reduce waste and increase worker safety.
Evolving through additive manufacturing to be more readily available, cost-effective and performance-oriented.
Integration
3D printing allows to produce jigs and fixtures with boundless complexity to support complex shapes and parts with fine details.With 3D printing, jigs and fixtures can be produced more efficiently and effectively than with welding or machining and depending on volume, with traditional plastic injection molding as well. This efficiency helps to reduce manufacturing costs and lead times and improve manufacturing and assembly line capacity, speed and responsiveness.
Integrating of 3D printing for jigs and fixtures enables :
- Improved functionality for workflow and workforce.
- Reduced investments in time, cost and materials.
- Enhanced self-sufficiency to own processes and outcomes
- Faster development and/or production cycles.
- Increasing rigidity within the design phase.
Benefits through 3D Printing
Speed
3D printed jigs and fixtures can be printed in few hours versus the days it may take to produce through traditional methods.This can shorten the supply chain, and provide immediate access to the tools needed.
Cost
3D printing can be used for design iteration of jig/fixture prototypes before the final design is identified. By eliminating investments in tooling, the cost of jigs/fixtures can be lowered.
Functionality
3D printing enables increased complexity and customization that opens new design capabilities for creating jigs/ fixtures with geometries that may be impossible to machine.
