Towards an intelligent fixturing system with rapid reconfiguration and part positioning

This paper presents the methodologies for rapid reconfiguration and part-to-fixture positioning in an intelligent fixturing system. Both aproaches are based on a modular fixturing system consisting of movable actuators and sensors. The reconfiguration methodology utilises an object-oriented approach to ensure that the fixture can work with various setups without the need of altering the control software. The part-to-fixture positioning approach calculates dimensional tolerances that can be used for guidance in automated part-fixture positioning.