Bespoke riser table and angle plate reduces production downtime

An innovative fixturing approach has been developed to enable a UK manufacturer of microscopy machines to develop a bespoke machining process for components of machines that investigate the structural properties of materials at sub-micrometre scales. In order to increase productivity and reduce set-up times, the company wanted to develop a fixture that could accommodate a family of components; in collaboration with the OEM, industry expert WDS was able to develop a product using a precision bespoke riser table and angle plate.

The UK OEM began the process of improving the efficiency of its manufacturing process ostensibly to allow it to cater for increased demand. Its products are used in industries such as pharmaceuticals, diamond processing, materials science, geosciences and nanotechnology, and are used to measure the chemical and structural properties of materials down to sub-micrometer scales, meaning that accuracy is vitally important during manufacture.

The company has developed a family of chassis designs to house the sensitive electrical measuring equipment in its different products. Each chassis design required a separate fixture for machining, which led to regular periods of CNC downtime and made it impossible to manufacture small quantities efficiently. Rather than investing straight away in extra CNC machines, the company asked WDS Fixturing Systems to design a bespoke workholding system which could, if possible, accommodate the entire family of chassis components.

Nick Gautier, Project & Technical Sales Engineer for WDS Fixturing Systems, comments: "When a single CNC machine is responsible for machining numerous products there can be a real danger for production efficiency to dip. We visited the site to review the components that were manufactured and their existing workholding solutions. Each component is a different size and shape and needs to be manufactured with a high degree of accuracy; but we saw this as no reason for production to be halted for many hours every time a different component is loaded and machined. It was decided that the whole family of parts could be catered for with a bespoke riser table and angle plate."

Precision ground for accuracy

A precision ground steel riser table was designed which featured a matrix of tapped and jig-bored holes; this was supported by a bespoke angle plate which was precision ground for accuracy. Using a combination of standard and modified clamping and location items, sourced from the WDS Component Parts catalogue, provisions were made for back stopping and probe mounts which would suit each chassis component. Rather than changing the table for each component, the CNC operator can simply reposition the clamps to change the production run in minutes.

A spokesman for the OEM says: "The bespoke workholding solution reduced downtime between production runs and allowed us to implement a degree of lean manufacturing. Since installation of the new fixtures we have enjoyed continued growth in our sales which has led us to order a new CNC machine. A duplicate of the workholding has been ordered to support the new machine."

To find out more about fixturing systems from WDS, go to the website at www.wdsltd.co.uk.