The Automated Planning for Fixture Location Based on Process Requirement

This research carries out a systematic investigation on the automation of fixture location planning. A novel classification and representation method of constrained degrees of freedom (DOF) is proposed. Constrained DOFs are classified into four types: linear translation DOF, linear rotation DOF, planar translation DOF and planar rotation DOF, and they are represented in the form of vector. On the basis of the classification and representation, constrained DOFs are automatically obtained from process requirement. By analyzing datum constraint DOF capability and datum location ability, the operation rules of constrained DOF: union, decomposition and coordinate transformation, are established. The approach to the evaluation of datum location ability and the judgment of datum conflict is explored, and the solution of datum conflict and datum location problem is presented. Eventually, the rules of location point layout are formalized.