Production Validation of Agile Machining Fixture: A Machine-Automated Reconfigurable Tooling

Agile machining fixture is a machine-automated reconfigurable tooling first introduced in 2003. The fixture is reconfigurable and programmable on a CNC machine. To evaluate its viability in production, the agile machining fixture is reconfigured from one machining operation to another for showing its flexibility to processing needs. The fixture is further tested and validated in a low volume production environment to address various challenges in product designs, machine conditions and process details. The good dimensional quality of the production parts machined in this study confirms that the agile machining fixture can perform as well as conventional ones on a regular CNC machine and thus deserves the consideration for future production implementation.