Jigs and fixtures are frequently used in the metal and plastic fabrication sectors. These tools are categorized according to function, such as a ‘drill jig’ or a ‘plate jig.’ Predominantly, both are interchangeably employed but relatively for different machining tasks. Jigs act as guiding tools, while fixtures ensure steady workpiece orientation. Moreover, jigs and fixtures help produce parts with high repeatability, accuracy, and performance in precision machining. Both save time and cost and enhance productivity, all while keeping quality stringent. From automotive aerospace to electronic components, their use is indispensable. Keep reading because this article entails the critical details about jigs and fixtures, their design, benefits, and applications across manufacturing industries.
What are Jigs?
A jig is an indispensable tool that directs and helps shape tools in the manufacturing process. For example, a jig can guide a drill bit to drill a hole of a specific size and location. Jigs can be designed for a particular or multi-purpose operation. They are used in various operations and parts manufacturing, such as drilling, counterboring, and uni-directional operations. Moreover, jigs are used in precision CNC machining to create exact specifications and consistent products.
Types of Jigs
Let’s briefly discuss some common types of jigs.
Template Jig
A Template Jig generally controls cutting tool movement with thumb screws to ensure dimensional accuracy. These jigs are typically used for manufacturing parts in small quantities.
Plate Jig
A Plate Jig employs a flat plate to support and locate the workpiece, especially when drilling where the hole must be located precisely. The plate allows for consistent and accurate workpiece positioning and reproducible drilling. It is particularly advantageous for large and complicated parts.
Channel Jig
Channel Jigs support symmetrical or elongated materials for adequate machining. The jig typically has a slot, properly aligns it to the workpiece, and ensures it is correctly oriented. Channel jigs are particularly crucial for milling or drilling processes.
Diameter Jig
A Diameter Jig supports the part on its diameter and aligns alongside the workpiece for operations such as drilling or turning. It’s a handy jig for operations that need close diameter control, such as boring. It is often designed to match the size of the workpiece being welded.
Leaf Jig
Leaf Jigs have a hinge, so they provide ease in loading and unloading the workpieces. They are employed when operations such as drilling and milling frequently change. The leaf’s structure is precisely held to prevent slippage.
What are Fixtures?
As the name suggests, fixtures are used for holding, locating, supporting, and positioning the workpiece. They are commonly used during machining operations such as milling, turning, grinding, slotting, and fabrication. Fixtures differ from jigs in several aspects. Jigs guide the cutting tools, while fixtures are work-holding tools for locating workpieces. Fixtures are productive when workpieces have intricate shapes and require much post-treatment.
Types of Fixtures
Here are some common types of fixtures:
Turning Fixtures
Clamping fixtures support workpieces during turning operations to guarantee precise cylindrical turning operations. They support various shapes and sizes. These fixtures clamp the workpiece so it does not move.
Milling Fixtures
Milling fixtures hold and precisely align the workpieces for milling operations. Lighting affects precision and accuracy in milling; adequate lighting enhances the precision of the milling process.
Broaching Fixtures
During broaching operations, fixtures fix the workpieces to shape internal profiles. They determine the component for an accurate broaching outcome, which makes these fixtures very significant in offering the right internal profile.
Grinding Fixtures
Grinding fixtures secure the workpieces during the grinding operations, facilitating proper orientation and a smooth surface finish. The fixtures accommodate different shapes and sizes of the substance to be ground to achieve uniform grinding.
Boring Fixtures
Dull fixtures support workpieces in a stable and well-aligned position during the boring process. They are available in different sizes to fit the component sizes to the hole diameter and depth.
Indexing Fixtures
Indexing fixtures can be rotated and positioned so that different workpiece surfaces can be machined in several operations. They provide precise movement for delicate operations and improve production line efficiency and quality by reducing the likelihood of variability.
Tapping Fixtures
Tapping fixtures hold parts firmly in place while tapping threads in holes. They are of various sizes; some are used for threading, while others fit all sizes and types of threads. Thus, proper fixtures improve threaded holes.
Jigs Vs. Fixtures: Key Differences
Jigs and fixtures, however, have a functional resemblance, but they are quite different. Jigs are weightless tools that help properly control and position the cutting tools. Both jigs and fixtures prominently regulate the position of the tool and jobpiece in precision drilling. On the other hand, fixtures are solely used for clamping and supporting the workpiece. Moreover, they assist in orienting the workpiece to enable appropriate and safe manufacturing.
In addition, fixtures are applied in manual and automated operations where the workpiece must be clamped firmly. While jig guides manage the trajectory of the cutting tool, fixtures locate the workpiece.
Other differences are in the size or shape of the product and the level of detail in its design. Jigs are mostly small and portable, while fixtures are primarily large and have to be mounted on the work table. Fixtures are usually less complex than jigs because the latter in the fixture design performs two roles to guide the tools and the workpieces correspondingly.
Design Considerations For Jigs and Fixtures
- Orientation: Jigs and fixtures should be designed and installed correctly. This helps avoid placing the wrong material or component in the wrong place, minimizing misalignments.
- Multiple Operations: Integrate as many operations as possible in one setup of the jigs and fixtures. It helps reduce the need for further corrections and keeps human interference minimal. Design flexibility improves functionality since it allows for multifunctional use of the designs.
- Location: Machining fixtures must be well-aligned for optimal machining. Fixtures must be bound sufficiently to avoid imposing imprecisions, but they should not be overbound since this causes more problems.
- Easy Handling: Tools such as jigs and fixtures should be easy to maneuver; in fact, they should be designed to be single-handled. Simplified handling increases the effectiveness of the work and reduces the probability of handling errors. Moreover, effective jig and fixture designs allow for easy and fast changes.
- Material Selection: If a fixture has multiple parts, then the best steel for fixturescan be used, such as hardened steel. If the demand is low, one may opt for materials like plastics and wood. Selecting the suitable material affects both the efficiency and durability of the designs.
Advantages of Jigs and Fixtures
Jigs and fixtures provide the following advantages that improve manufacturing tasks.
- Increased Precision:Jigs and fixtures control the tools’ position and ensure they reach the correct position, while fixtures ensure machining materials do not deflect during the process.
- Increased Productivity: Proper tools and tool holders help reduce the work that needs highly skilled workers and repositioning. They make processes more efficient and, by doing so, help operators obtain good results with minimal skills. This efficiency can be considered a force multiplier in the manufacturing process.
- Reduced Operational Cost:Jigs and fixtures help reduce the time taken to set up and machine the process, thereby reducing the labor cost per part. The use of efficient alignment and secure placement of materials to reduce setup time is less than that of conventional methods. Also, these minimize the scrap rates by reducing the probability of producing inaccurate parts.
Applications of Jigs and Fixtures In Manufacturing
jigs and fixtures, typically used for the following applications mentioned below:
Boring, Reaming, and Tapping on a Large Scale
Jigs are usually used for bulky drilling, reaming, and tapping operations. They accurately control the tools, ensuring that many parts can be processed with the same dimensional accuracy.
Milling, Turning, and Grinding
Fixtures are usually used in milling, turning, and grinding machining operations. They clamp workpieces tightly to avoid movement during machining operations that may affect the workpiece’s accuracy.
Automobile Parts on a Large Scale
In the automobile industry, jigs and fixtures reduce variations in the production of automobile parts. They help maintain order and minimize errors.
Slicing of Ingots in Steel Industries
As for the equipment used in the large steel ingots, fixtures are employed to reduce the size to make them manageable. Moreover, it supports the ingots firmly so they can be cut easily and safely during steel production.
Summary
To summarize, jigs and fixtures reduce nonproductive time, particularly in mass production. Jigs are mainly employed to control cutting tools. The bush part of the jigs is positioned parallel to the cutting tool to ensure that identical cutting patterns are achieved on different products in the production line. Conversely, fixtures make it easier to cut all the pieces equally and thus increase the efficiency of the machining process.
Contact us for more information.
