Computer-controlled Flexible Fixture Based on Multi-point Technology

With the development of modern manufacturing, flexible tooling is an important field of the process improvement. Flexible fixture is an important part of flexible tooling. Computer controlled flexible fixture can adjust itself quickly to adapt to different positioning and clamping requirements with the control of industrial PC. And multi-point technology is a technology which is applied to 3-dimensioning surface manufacturing. The principle is to fix curved surface at many discrete points. Computer controlled flexible fixture based on multi-point technology is high efficient, reconfigurable and reusable. Compared with traditional fixture, it has several advantages such as saving the storage space, shortening the product development time, reducing the manufacture cost and so on. This kind of fixture had been used in the manufacture of airplane and engine components a lot overseas. But the price is quite high and the maintenance is inconvenience for local customers. This work investigated the critical technology of computer controlled flexible based on multi-point technology, described the system structure of hardware and software, and gave references to its development and spread.