Abstract
This study aims to develop a new jig holding system that is able to be controlled by a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) installed on three-axis machining centers, which can drastically improve the productivity in machining operations, enabling the machining of unparallel plans in the same setup. An action research methodology was adopted for this work, which, through a practical approach, intends to generate transferrable knowledge to other organizations whose situations are like those in this study. Together, the practical actions and the knowledge acquired create the changes needed for improving these processes. By conducting a case study, it was observed that savings of about 40 % can be easily achieved for parts with low geometric complexity. If the complexity of the parts increases, it is expected that these savings can be even higher. The return of investment is less than 2 years, which is usually affordable for enterprises. Through this study, it was possible to develop a new jig holding system that can be attached to a three-axis CNC machining center and clearly expands its functions and productivity. With this system, it is possible to work in different planes of the part in sequence, as well as use a double-sided table for the jigs, doubling the production batch each time the machine is loaded. Moreover, a list of key settings has been created with the main requirements and recommendations to adopt this kind of production system, which can be highlighted as the main research output.