Modular workholding apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12390982-B2
Application number	US-202217965445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2022
Priority date	Sep 7, 2018
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A workholding apparatus for components having complex geometries or surfaces, which components are difficult constrain for the purpose of inspection, addresses the problem of adequately constraining such components in a convenient and cost-effective manner so that they do not move during inspection, while also making all or most critical features accessible to the inspection instruments being used. A method teaches how to eliminate setup changes between different components through the use of inexpensive modular attachments. These attachments are in the form of a single piece thermoplastic part which is affixed to each component having also reference features that can be interlocked into a common base fixture for more efficient inspection operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a single-piece workholding apparatus for holding a workpiece during inspection by a coordinate measuring machine, the workpiece having a target portion having a complex geometry, the method comprising:
measuring the geometry of the target portion to obtain a measured element; and
creating a digital template by digitally subtracting the measured element from a template blank; and
producing, from the digital template, the single-piece workholding apparatus comprising an interface having a fixed shape, the interface adapted to couple to the target portion of the workpiece.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital template further comprises a standard clamping interface, and the method further comprises producing, from the digital template, the single-piece workholding apparatus having a standard clamping interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein producing the single-piece workholding apparatus comprises 3D printing the digital template.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein 3D printing the digital template comprises producing the single-piece workholding apparatus from thermoplastic.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the thermoplastic is one of ABS, HIPS, and polyamide.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein 3D printing the digital template comprises producing the single-piece workholding apparatus via fused deposition modeling (FDM).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface has a contour that is the complement of the target portion shape of the target portion such that the contour is complementary to the shape of the target portion.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface is flexible so as to accept the target portion of the workpiece and so as to provide a compressive force on the target portion of the workpiece when the workpiece is disposed in the workpiece interface so as to hold the target portion via compression fitting.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface has a contour that is the complement of the target portion shape of the target portion such that the contour is complementary to the shape of the target portion, and wherein the workpiece interface is flexible so as to accept the target portion of the workpiece and so as to provide a compressive force on the target portion of the workpiece when the workpiece is disposed in the workpiece interface so as to hold the target portion via compression fitting.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface comprises a slot having a tapered angle of between 0 and −5 degrees in a direction of insertion of a workpiece to ensure gradually increasing compression as the workpiece is inserted.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-piece workholding apparatus further comprises a relief hole in the form of a cylindrical or other curved profile to relieve stresses while a workpiece is compression fit into the interface.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-piece workholding apparatus further comprises an undercut or countersink area to allow access to a complex geometry of the workpiece while the workpiece is secure in the interface.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling the single-piece workholding apparatus to a base having a second interface configured to securely couple to a clamping system.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the base has a bottom face comprising a plurality of cavities, the plurality of cavities arranged in a pattern to match a corresponding pattern of dowels on a storage plate.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the base comprises a plurality of base magnets arranged in a base pattern to match a corresponding pattern of storage magnets arranged on a storage plate.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the base comprises:
a first set of base features, which first set of base features is configured to interlock with counterpart features on a robotic gripper; and
a second set of base features, which second set of base features is configured to interlock with counterpart jaw reference features of a clamp,
wherein the first set of base features is not identical to the second set of base features.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the base comprises:
base features, which base features are configured to interlock with counterpart features on a robotic gripper, and the same base features are configured to interlock with counterpart jaw reference features of a clamp.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target portion has a complex geometry defined by a plurality of curved surfaces, and the interface is shaped and sized to have a contour that is the complement of said complex geometry, to provide a compressive force on the target portion of the workpiece when the workpiece is disposed in the interface.

19. The method of claim 4 , wherein the thermoplastic is acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene.

20. The method of claim 4 , wherein the thermoplastic is polyamide.

Assignees

• Hexagon Metrology Inc

Inventors

• O'Hare Jonathan J
• Dove Jonathan

Classifications

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G05B19/4097

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B19/4093

  characterised by part programming, e.g. entry of geometrical information as taken from a technical drawing, combining this with machining and material information to obtain control information, named part program, for the NC machine · CPC title

• B23Q3/15

  Devices for holding work using magnetic or electric force acting directly on the work · CPC title

• B23Q3/103

  Constructional elements used for constructing work holders · CPC title