DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN SOFTWARE FOR JIGS AND FIXTURES FOR DRILLING FLANGES

Abstract

A detailed review of relevant literature was carried out to provide basic information on the construction of jigs design. Also, the documentation of acquired data for the purpose of developing suitable design process using Computer Aided Design (CAD) was carried out. A computer software that would automatically draw the needed jigs and fixtures from the data or the flange (object) was developed. A description of the design requirements and constraints was obtained by considering the different configurations of the workpiece. A geometric model of the fixture was developed and analysed for kinematic, force and deformation compatibility. A heuristin algorithm was developed and the program written using JAVA language default package. The program is user-friendly and was written in modules to allow for flexibility and quick responsiveness. The program was validated with real life sample data from a workpiece.