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Howto Write Tech Specs
Howto Write Tech Specs
April2010
HOWTOWRITETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSFOR
DIMENSIONALGAUGES,
JIGS,CHECKINGFIXTURES
ANDCMMFIXTURES
April2010
Page1of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
INDICE
PRELIMINARYNOTE ................................................................................................................. 3
I.TECHNICALSPECIFICATIONSWHY? ................................................................................ 4
II.THECONEOFUNCERTAINTY .............................................................................................. 5
III.TAILORMADEPRODUCTSANDSERVICES...................................................................... 7
3.1THETAILOR
3.2THEDESIGNOFFICE
7
7
IV.WHICHASPECTSAREINCLUDEDINTECHNICALSPECIFICATIONS? ......................... 9
4.1REFERENCEDOCUMENTSOFEACHCUSTOMER
4.2CHECKINGFIXTUREALIGNMENT
4.3PARTALIGNMENTONTHECHECKINGFIXTURE
4.4PARTFIXATIONMEANS
4.5TYPESOFCHECKINGSYSTEMSFORTHEDIMENSIONSTOBECHECKED
4.6MANUFACTURINGMATERIALS
4.7MANUFACTURINGTOLERANCES
4.8GENERALIDENTIFICATIONOFTHECHECKINGFIXTUREANDITS
ELEMENTS
4.9HANDLINGCHECKINGFIXTURES
4.10INFORMATIONNECESSARYFORTHEVALIDATIONOFTHEDESIGN
BEFOREMANUFACTURING
4.11DIMENSIONALREPORTANDR&R
4.12USERMANUAL
4.13PACKAGINGANDSTORAGEOFTHECHECKINGFIXTURES
4.14MAINTENANCE
9
10
12
13
15
19
20
20
22
23
24
25
27
27
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................ 28
Page2of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Preliminarynote
This handbook does not pretend to replace the technical specifications currently
used by OEMs and their suppliers. It does not pretend either to be a Bible about
howtoproducedimensionalcheckingfixtures.Wehaveredacteditbyusingthe
experienceswehavehadovertheyearsasmuchthegoodasthebadonesas
wellasthevarietyofprojectswehaveparticipatedto.
The aim of this handbook is to highlight the importance of these technical
specifications, which help to reduce the uncertainty in a project and ensure that
thefurtherstepswillbedonewithinthecostsanddeadlinesplanned.Ithastobe
anextrahelpforcompaniesthathavenotwrittenyettheirtechnicalspecifications
andwishtowritethem.
Page3of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
I.TechnicalSpecificationsWhy?
Thedefinitionoftechnicalspecificationsforthedesignofcheckingfixtures,orjigs,
is of paramount importance for companies using frequently these tools. These
specificationsdetailallthefeaturesofdesign,manufactureandstorageasmuch
thegeneralasthespecificonesforeachtypeofproduct.
Technicalspecificationsareusedforthepreparationofthequotationforatooling
(RFQ),andasaguidelineforitsdesign.
Thisiswhywe,atTecnomatrix,wouldliketohelpyoutowriteyourowntechnical
specifications,inordertomakethetaskeasierforyouifyouhavenotdoneityet,
ortoimprovethemifyouhavealreadywrittenthem.
Themainpointstechnicalspecificationsshouldincludearethefollowing:
Referencedocumentsforeachofyourcustomers.
Checkingfixturealignment.
Partalignmentmethods.
Partfixationmethods.
Systemsandtypesofcontrolsofthedimensionstobechecked.
Manufacturingmaterials.
Manufacturingtolerances.
Generalidentificationofthecheckingfixtureanditselements.
Informationnecessaryfortheapprovalofthedesignbeforemanufacturing.
DimensionalreportandR&R.
Usermanual.
Packagingandstorageofthecheckingelements.
Maintenance.
Thesedataaredefineddependingonthetypeofparttobecheckedanditslevelof
precision. Do not forget that an excess, or a lack of quality trigger a loss of
competitivity. This means that, as a general rule, you should not have the same
specificationsformetalpartsasforinjectedorpuffedplasticparts,forexample.
Ifyoudonotknowwhenyoushouldusecheckingfixtures,orhowoften,youcan
take as a reference the Military Standard 105 (MILSTD105), that details the
proceduresandtablestodoasamplingforacorrectinspectionofyourproduction.
Page4of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
II.TheConeofUncertainty
Thedesignandcreationofthe2Dand3Doftheproject.
Thematerialstobeused,theelementsofmetrologytobeincludedandthe
surfaceandheattreatments.
Themanufactureofeveryelementofthecheckingfixture.
Theadjusting,dependingonthetolerancesandrequests.
The subsequent works, such as R&R studies, user manuals, parts
dimensionalreports,andsoon.
Uncertaintydoesnotbenefittoanyofthetwopartiesandonlytransferstherisk
fromoneparty(customer)totheother(checkingfixturemanufacturer).Aproject
lastingorcostingmorethanwhatwasplannedwillonlycausedamagetotheparty
takingtherisk.Whenoneloses,bothpartieslosebecauseifthecustomerwanted
toreceivehisorderonadetermineddateandunforeseeneventsdelaythedelivery
andincreasecosts,thesituationwillbegintosnowballwithoutbringinganyvalue.
Page5of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
http://www.6tl.es/sabermas.asp
Sources:
http://www.construx.com/Page.aspx?hid=1648
Page6of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
III.TailorMadeProductsandServices
Did you know that when purchasing either checking
fixturesortailormadesuitstheconsumerbehaviouris
quitesimilar?
Actually,thesimilarityisinthefactthatbothproducts
are tailormade, and the professional needs to be
givensomekeyindications,inordertogiveusexactly
whatweneed.
3.1THETAILOR
Ifyouwishtogetanicesuit,anddonothavethebody
of a model so that any suit will fit you perfectly, you
will have to go and see the tailor. The tailor will take
yourmeasurementsandwillthenaskyou:
Whatyouwantthissuitfor:ifitisforaspecial
day,ifitistogotowork,andsoon.
Whichfabricandcoloursyouprefer.
Whichseasonoftheyearyouneeditfor.
Which style you want for the jacket, for the
sleevesbuttonsandthetrousershems.
Afterwards,hewillhavetoadjustyoursuitwhenyoucometotryiton,evenifhe
hadpreviouslytakenyourmeasurements.
Nobodywouldgotoatailorandorderasuitsize42withoutanyotherindication.
Andanswer,whenthetailorasksforourpreferences:youarethespecialist,arent
you?
3.2THEDESIGNOFFICE
Thisisthesameforcheckingfixtures.Weneedtohavea3Dgeometryofthepart
and a 2D drawing with the dimensions and tolerances, but this is only the
informationtogetstarted.
We also need to have some technical specifications, or more simply a series of
indicationstocreatetheperfectdesign.Itisimportanttoknow:
Whichmaterialsthecustomerpreferstoworkwith
Whichdimensionshavetobechecked
Which reference points (RPS) our customer wishes to use (if they are not
specifiedinthedrawing)
Page7of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Whichtypeofcheckingmethodsthepersonthatwillcheckthepartsprefer
touse
Whatisthebudgetavailableforthisproject
Customers, however, are not always aware of the fact that these answers are
important.Andtheydonotrealiseeitherthatthefinalresultdependsbasicallyof
theinteresttheywillputinansweringthesequestions.
Inthecaseofrathercomplexcheckingfixtures,wehaveseenthatiftheengineerin
chargeoftheprojectinourcustomersplantdoesnotgetinvolvedthoroughlyin
thedesignofthecheckingfixture,itwillusuallyendupbeingunusedorifitis
indeeduseditwillnotgiveanoptimumresult.
It is important to foresee all the potential problems and to finally have a part
sampletomakefinaladjustingsofthecheckingfixtureandofthefixationelements.
Ifwehavepartsamples,wewillbeabletostudytherepeatabilityofthefixture
withoutthem,itwillbeimpossible.
Page8of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
IV.WhichAspectsareIncludedinTechnical
Specifications?
4.1REFERENCEDOCUMENTSOFEACHCUSTOMER
Withinthissection,youwillhavetotakeintoaccounttheinformationprovidedby
thefinalcustomer.DependingoneachOEM,youwillonlyreceivegeneraltechnical
specifications(tobeusedforallthecheckingfixtures)oryouwillevenbeprovided
withspecifictechnicalspecificationsforeachandeveryparticularcheckingfixture.
ThelatterareusuallyredactedbyTIER1sunderthesupervisionofOEMs.
If the final customer requires the use of determined checking patterns, they will
havetobetakenintoaccounttodefinethedesignofthecheckingfixture.Apattern
requiringtocheckthepartsveryoftenwillmeanthatyouwillhavetoimplementa
userfriendly and quick checking system, in order to avoid increasing the related
costs.
Page9of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
The specific technical specifications will detail what type of gauging system is
requiredfortheverificationofagivenpart,dependingontheindicationsprovided
bythefinalcustomer:thepartwillhavetobecheckedintheproductionchain,in
themetrologylaboratory,etc.
In some occasions, the final customer can also provide a list of critical points he
wishestocheck:thesepointswillalsohavetobetakenintoaccount.
CMMfixturefordashboard
Checkingfixtureforplasticribs
CMMfixturefordoorframe
Meisterbockforbodyinwhite
Go/NoGogauges
4.2CHECKINGFIXTUREALIGNMENT
In order to carry out periodical verifications on your checking fixtures, it is
importanttohavereferencesenablingyoutopositionthefixtureinacoordinates
system.Thisalignmentcanbegeometricorby3centres.
Page10of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Thealignmentcanbedoneby:
-
Machinedplanesonthebaseplate
Partaligningelements(RPS)
Sightsorspheresdrivenintothebaseplate
Rectifiedsteelbushingsdrivenintothebaseplate
Thegeometricalignmentsystemismoreprecise,andisprobablythebestoneona
metrologicalpointofview;yet,itisalsothemostcomplexandexpensivesystem,
since it aligns the checking fixture by using the same areas as the ones used to
aligntheparttobemeasured.
The most commonly used system is the one using three rectified bushings, as it
enablestogetaprecisionveryclosetotheorywithmorereasonablecosts.
Machinedplanes
Alignmentbythreecentres
Referencebushing.Also
enablestoadaptasight
Sights
Even if you have already chosen your alignment system, you can also have your
checkingfixturedesignedtobeusedindifferentpositionsinordertomakeitsuse
easier.Thepositionofsomeofthepartsofavehicledonotallowtocheckthemin
a comfortable way; in those cases, it can be very interesting to have a fixture
enabling to be positioned according to one, or several axes. Consequently, this
sectionofyourtechnicalspecificationswillhavetodeterminewhethertheuseof
inclinedstructureswillbenecessary,ornot.
Structuresimulatingthe
vehicleposition
Page11of28
XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
4.3PARTALIGNMENTONTHECHECKINGFIXTURE
ThepartRPS,indicatedinthe2Ddrawing,areusuallyusedtoalignthepart.
Remember to identify clearly the location of the RPS, and how you want to
simulate them. The fixations are usually an accurate reproduction of the real
environment of the part, but it is also possible to represent only the theoretical
RPS.
Thecostofeachsystemcanbequitedifferent,andsoarethemeasurementresults
each system can provide; consequently, it is very important to define them from
thebeginning.
Thepartalignmentsystemmustpreventthepartfrombeingmountedindifferent
positionsonthecheckingfixture;thiscanbedonebyusingconicandretractable
centring elements, that can absorb the tolerances of the elements used to centre
the part. This is the only way to ensure the checking fixture repeatability for
measurements,andgoodresultsintheR&Rstudies.
Inmanycases,thecheckingfixturewillbeusedtocarryoutasmuchchecksinthe
productionchainasinthemetrologylaboratory.Ifthecheckingfixturesaretobe
used to do measurements with a CMM machine, you have to say so, in order to
design the alignment systems in a way allowing the access of the CMM machine
probe.
Insomecases,apreliminarycontroloftheelementenablingtoalignthepartmay
berequiredforexample,ifyoualignyourpartonahole,youmayneedtocheck
previously the hole with a Go/No Go pin . The alignment of the part, however,
shouldalwaysbedoneonsurfacesregardedasreliable,thatis,withnotendency
togetdeformedduringthepartproductionprocess.
Diamondshapedcentring
pin,enablingtocenterthe
partinonedirection.
Coniccentringpin,enablingtocenterthe
partononeofitsholes;theshapeofthe
centringpinallowstoabsorbthehole
manufacturingtolerancetocenterthepart
inaoptimumway.
Page12of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
In cases like the one displayed bellow, the vehicle fixation system will be
representedbypinsoropenableclips.
RPS Fy
RPS Hxz
4.4PARTFIXATIONMEANS
Oncethepartisaligned,ithastobefastenedonthecheckingfixturetopreventit
frommoving.Itisessentialtomakesurethatthefixationsystemsblockthepartto
measure,butdonotdeformitbyfasteningittootightly.
Tofastenthepart,youcanusemanualorpneumaticclamps,screwssimulatingthe
vehicle fixation, magnets, clips simulations, fixed blocks representing the part
environment, etc. Each part will have to be studied depending on its materials,
environmentandareastobechecked.Dependingonthecases,thefixationsystems
andholdingpointsmaybe/mustberetractable,inordertomakethemountingand
checkoftheparteasier.
Sometimes, customers request a fixation of the part through perpendicular
fasteningclamps,thatis,witharotationpointalignedwiththepartplane.Sucha
clampensuresthatthepartwillnotmovewhenputtingtheclampdown;thistype
of clamp can be used without any problem, but as it is a special system it is
essentialtorequestitinyourtechnicalspecifications,sinceitimpliesanextracost.
Page13of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Manualclamp
Destacoclampand
shapesimulationblock
Clipsimulation
Magnettomakethemountingof
metalpartseasier
Clampwithaperpendicularangle
tothesurface
Threadedpin
Page14of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Your general technical specifications will have to define the different types of
checkingsystemsthatyourfinalcustomerregardasnecessaryforafullcontrolof
the part, as well as their corresponding characteristics; generally, the general
specificationstalkabout:
-
Go/NoGogauges:gaugesmadeofahandleandtwomeasuringelements,
where one measuring element corresponds to the maximum value of the
dimension to measure (No Go), and the other measuring element
correspondstotheminimumvalueofthedimensiontomeasure(Go).The
Go/No Go gauges belong to the category of attributes control means, and
areusedtoverifydiameter,specialshapesaswellasgapandflushareas.
Page15of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
checkingfixtures:mechanicalassemblyforthedimensionalverificationof
massproductionparts,withtheaimofdoingthesamerepetitivecheckson
partsassembliesthathavebeenalignedinexactlythesameway,regardless
of the person doing the measurements. They are frequently used in
industrial sectors, such as the automotive, domestic electrical applicances
industry, aircraft, pharmaceutical by parts and components
manufacturers.Theyarealsocalledjigsorgaugesandaredesignedtocheck
adeterminedpart.
Page16of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Hybridcheckingfixture/CMMfixture:checkingfixtureadaptedtocarry
out measurements by 3D machine. The checking fixture will have
removable or sliding areas allowing the access to the 3D machine probe.
Thistypeofcheckingsystemisparticularlyusedbycompaniesneedingto
checkpartsinproduction(conformityoftheparts)aswellasinmetrology
laboratory (measurement of parts for SPC), but do not wish to have two
separatecheckingfixtures.
Page17of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Removable
simulationblock
automatedcheckingfixtures:mechanicalpneumaticsystemtocheckthe
dimensionsofapart;itsaimisthesameasaregularcheckingfixture,butit
checks the part thanks to probes and measuring sensors or attributes
recordingthemeasureddatainaPC,forfurtherprocessing.Theyenableto
save costs for data collection and to increase the reliability of the
measurements obtained by eliminating the mistakes due to a bad
transcriptionorotherhumanrelatedfactors.
Thepointsorfeaturestoverifycanbecheckedintwoways:
-
Byattributes,suchasGo/NoGogauges(youwillonlyknowifthepartisOK
orNOK)
By variables, such as dial indicators, dynamometers, torque wrenches or
measurementprobes(yougetadeterminedvalueeverytimeyoumeasure)
Checksbyvariablesareparticularlyindicatedtocarryoutcapacitystudiesdirectly
with your checking fixture, and to do a followup of the part production. The
resultswillenableyoutodoapreventivefollowupandtoavoidnonconformity
problemsbytakingrelevantdecisions.
Todefinewhichtypeofcheckingmethodsshouldbeusedonyourcheckingfixture,
itisessentialtotakeintoaccounttheexperiencesyouhavehadwitheachofthe
checkingmethodsavailable.Thepreferencesofthestaffqualifiedforthistypeof
work can vary a lot, and they must be taken into account to make sure that the
chosen solution will suit them. Should you chose a system that may not be
convenientforthepeopleinchargeofcheckingtheparts,itwillquicklystoptobe
used. What is more, in the case of checks by variables, you will also have to
determinewhichfeatureshouldbethemainoneonyourcheckingfixture,thatis,if
itismoreimportantforittobequick,tobeabletoprocessmeasurementdata,or
Page18of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
to be userfriendly. Once you have defined these features, you will be able to
determinewhichvariablemeasuringinstrumentisadaptedtothecheckingfixture
toproduce.
Depending on the physical characteristic (distance, pressure, torque), you will
chosethemostsuitablesystem(linearruler,torquewrench,etc.)
Digitalruler
Regla
digital
Go/NoGogauge
Dialindicator
Pneumaticactuatedprobe
4.6MANUFACTURINGMATERIALS
Mostofthetime,thematerialsweusearealuminiumsorsteelschosenaccording
to the material of the part to be checked, and to how often the part is to be
checked.Insomeparticularcases,theuseofaluminiumloadedresinsortechnical
plastics may be required, even though they are less and less used due to their
relativefragilityforauseinaproductionchain.
Toprotectthepartsfromenvironmentalorproductionrelatedtearandwear,we
recommendtouseheatandsurfacetreatments.Asforaluminiums,werecommend
toapplyhardanodizing;forsteelelements,weusechemicalnickel.
Inspiteoftheextracostthetemperingofpartsmeans,werecommendtoalways
submit the parts of your checking fixture to heat treatments. Heat treatments
enabletogetahardercheckingfixture,whichwillguaranteeitalongerusefullife,
ahigherrepeatability,andconsequentlyaquickerrepaymentofyourinvestment.
Itisessentialtohavetheelementsmostsubmittedtotearandwear,suchasRPS,
produced in tempered steel to make sure that they will not wear on during the
usefullifeofyourcheckingfixture.
Page19of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Chosingwellthemostsuitablematerialfortheproductionofyourcheckingfixture
is crucial. The material will be chosen depending on the type of part to check
(plastic/metal) and to the hardness of the material, as well as on the checking
frequency. A wrong choice can end up in the result you can see on the picture
above,ontheleft:inthiscase,thecheckingfixturewasproducedinresintocheck
a metal part. The resin wore on, the angles got rounded, and the gap and flush
checkingareaswerelost.
Theonlysolutionavailabletothisproblemwastoproduceanewcheckingfixture
withtherightmaterials,asyoucanseeonthepictureontherightside:theright
materialwashardanodizedaluminium,withtemperedsteelcentringelements.
4.7MANUFACTURINGTOLERANCES
Manufacturingtoleranceswillbespecifiedinyourgeneraltechnicalspecifications,
andtheywillhavetobespecifiedaswell,oradjustedifthepartfeaturesmakeit
necessary,inyourspecifictechnicalspecifications.Youwillhavetodefinethe
manufacturing tolerances for the reference points (RPS) of the points to be
checkedbyattributes,andofthepointstobecheckedbyvariables.Dependingon
the cases, technical specifications can specify that the referencing and checking
tolerances will have to account for X% of the part manufacturing tolerances
(usually, 10%); or, you can also make a list of the manufacturing tolerances
correspondingtoeachdimensiontobechecked.
4.8GENERALIDENTIFICATIONOFTHECHECKINGFIXTUREAND
ITSELEMENTS
To identify the elements of your checking fixtures, you may use identification
plates,carvedelements,colourcodesand/orstickers.
Colourcodesvarydependingon:
Who is the final customer; he is the one who will define the RAL for his
projects in his general technical specifications (Eg: yellow for PSA, red for SEAT,
Page20of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
etc.). Usually, the colour identification is made by painting the edges of the
checkingfixturebaseplate.
Theprojectreference
The number of controls to do: if your checking fixture includes many
controls, in particular with Go/No Go gauges, you should identify each checking
area and its corresponding Go/No Go gauge with a colour code. In this case, the
identificationwillhelpidentifyingthedifferentelementsavailableonthechecking
fixture. This option should also be used if your checking fixture has many
removableelements.
The Go and No Go sides of the Go/No Go gauges: the international
standardinthiscaseisgreenfortheGoside,andredfortheNoGoside.
Dependingontherequirementsoftheprojectspecifiedeitherinyourcustomers
general or specific technical specifications, these colour codes can be
complemented by stickers identifying key elements of the checking fixture such
as:RPS,removableblocks,etc.
Finally, the checking fixture removable elements are carved to make the
identificationoftheircharacteristicseasier.Forexample,inthecaseofGo/NoGo
gauges,theGoandNoGodiameterswillbecarved.
ExampleofapaintedandcarvedGo/No
Go gauge, with the identification of the
correspondingdiameters,aswellasthe
control
code
corresponding
(identificationchosenbythecustomer)
withacolourcode
Stickersidentifyingthecheckingfixture
RPS (foreground) as well as a
removableblock(background)
Page21of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Theidentificationplateshelpyouseeeasilytheprojectreferencecorresponding
toeachofyourcheckingfixtures.
Theyusuallydisplay:
Thenameofthecheckingfixturemanufacturerdirectcustomer
Thenameofthefinalcustomer
Theprojectreference
The name of the part, if it is a single part, or if there is one left and one
rightpart
Thedateofendofmanufactureofthecheckingfixture
Tecnomatrix
ProjectRef.
CustomerpartRef.
Customer
Projectref.and/ornameof
thefinalcustomer
Date
4.9HANDLINGCHECKINGFIXTURES
Depending on the checking fixture size and weight, it will also be important to
considertheuseofelementshelpingtheuserstohandlethecheckingfixtureeasily
and safely. The technical specifications must specify the elements necessary for
thishandling,suchas:
handles: they are usually used for a handling of the checking fixture by the
controloperator.Consequently,theyaremoreadaptedtorelativelysmallchecking
fixtures (weighing less than 50kg). The handles are usually located at each
extremityofthecheckingfixture.
rings: their aim is to handle the checking fixture with some kind of handling
equipment (forklifts, overhead cranes, etc.) They are thus commonly used for
checkingfixtureswhichsizeorweightdoesnotallowahandlingbyoperators.It
can also be required if the part checking will be done by one single operator, in
ordertoavoidanyriskoffallsduringthehandling.Thetechnicalspecificationswill
have to indicate the distance of positioning of the rings, as well as any piece of
information the checking fixture manufacturer should know when mounting the
ringsonthefixture.
Page22of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
openingsforforklifts:recommendedforthehandlingofcheckingfixtureswithan
aluminiumfoundingbasis.Inthatcase,thedistancebetweeneachforkwillhaveto
bespecified,inordertoleaveenoughspaceforeachforkinthefoundingbasis.
Checkingfixturewithhandlingrings
Checkingfixtureswithhandles
Aluminiumfoundingbasissuitableforforklift
handling
Download 3D example
Download 2D example
Page23of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Yourcheckingfixturemanufacturermusthaveasystemenablingtogettraceability
inyourprojects,becauseinmanyoccasionsprojectsaresubjecttomodifications:
-
Ofthepartplans,whichwillaffectthedesignofthecheckingfixture
Ofthecustomerprojectmanagementteam,aspeoplewillbeaddedor
removedfromtheteam
Ofthefinalcustomercontrolrequirements
etc.
Insuchconditions,ahumanerrorcanhappenveryquicklywithoutagood
managementsystem.ThisiswhyTecnomatrixhasdeveloppeditsownproject
managementportal,calledTecnoNet,tomanagetheprojectwithagood
traceability,transparencyandcontrol:weusethisportaltocommunicatewithour
customers,sendandreceivealltheprojectrelateddocumentationbeitthepart
planorthecheckingfixturedesignanddotheprojectplanning.Thanksto
TecnoNet,weandourcustomerscanuseinformationclassifiedbychronological
order,anddisplayingtheactionsofeachandeveryparticipanttotheproject.One
ofthemainadvantagesofthisportalisthefactthateverytimeaparticipanttoa
projectaddsormodifiesanelement,therestofparticipantsreceiveanautomatic
emailnotification,makingthussurethatthereisaconstanttransmissionof
information,andthatmisunderstandingsorlossesofinformationwillbeavoided.
4.11DIMENSIONALREPORTANDR&R
The dimensional report is the document created once the checking fixture has
been measured in order to check that all the checking elements and RPS were
manufacturedaccordingtothetolerancesrequiredbythecustomer.Itisdelivered
with the checking fixture, and lists all the points measured, as well as the
deviations detected between the checking fixture design and the real checking
fixture.Acheckingfixturecanonlyberegardedasconformandoperationalifallits
elementsarewithinthetolerancesrequestedbythecustomer.
Thesectiondedicatedtodimensionalreportswilldetail:
The elements that are to be included in the dimensional report: part
alignmentelements,surfacesofthecheckingelementsofthecheckingfixture
The reference for themeasurement of the checkingfixture: according to
thepartgeometryortothecheckingfixturegeometry
Typeofalignment:bythreecentres,orgeometric
Page24of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Ifthefinalcustomerrequestsit,youwillhavetocarryoutacapabilitystudyand
a R&R study (repeatability and reproducibility). These studies can be made
eitherbytheTIER1,orbyitssupplierofcheckingfixtures,butitmustbeclearthat
both of them must take on the responsibility of this study and that should the
reportnotgiveasatisfactoryresult,theproblemwillhavetobesolvedbythetwo
ofthem.Theproblemmaycomefromanonconformityofthecheckingfixtureor
from alignment problems of the parts. The technical specifications will have to
definewhowillbeinchargeofdoingthesestudies,aswellas:
The measurement method: the R&R can be done by using the variable
checkingelements(dialindicator,torquewrench,etc.)orbytouchinganidentical
series of parts by CMM machine. The latter option takes more time, and will be
usedmoreparticularlyifthecheckingfixturedoesnothaveanyvariablechecking
elements.
The standard to do the study (for example, the CNOMO standard for
RenaultandPSAprojects)ortheMSA3thedition
Howmanypartsaretobemeasured
Howmanytimeseachparthastobemeasured
Howmanyoperatorsaretoparticipatetothestudy
Example:TheR&Rstudywillbedonebydialindicatorwith10partsmounted3times
by3differentoperators.
4.12USERMANUAL
Theusermanualisoptional;assuch,thespecifictechnicalspecificationswillhave
tosaywhetherornotitisrequiredforeachcheckingfixture.
The main function of the user manual is to give explanations about how the
checkingfixtureworks,aswellasrecommendationsforitsmaintenance.
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GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
Theusermanualmustbe,aboveall,simpleandquicktoreadandtounderstand.It
willhavetobesuitabletobeusedeitherbyaproductionchainoperator(whowill
nothavemanytimetocheckhisparts)orbyalaboratorytechnicianspecialisedin
thiswork(whocandedicatemoretimetothisjob).
Eventhoughseveralconfigurationsarepossible,werecommendtoincludeatleast
intheusermanual:
Ageneralviewofthecheckingfixture,withadescriptionofthefunctionof
eachofitselements
Recommendationstoguaranteealongerusefullifetothecheckingfixture
(cleaning,storage,useinproductionchains,etc.)
Anillustratedsectionexplaininghowtomountandfastenthepartonthe
checkingfixture
The list of each checking element and how it works, with pictures and
simpleandcleardescription.
Download an example
of user manual
Page26of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
4.13PACKAGINGANDSTORAGEOFTHECHECKINGFIXTURES
Checkingfixturesareprecisiontools,andmustbetreatedwiththecorresponding
respectandcare.
Toshipthem,werecommendtopacktheminatailormadewoodenbox,andtotie
and wrap securely the mobile elements (Go/No Go gauges, removable blocks) to
thebaseplate.
Here are other options to pack a checking fixture: a plastic box or a pallet (not
recommendedduetotherisksofblows).
Whenthecheckingfixtureisnotused,werecommendtostoreitinitsbox,toavoid
any risk of damage, falls of elements, and to keep the checking fixture clean and
readytouse.
4.14MAINTENANCE
Toensurealongerusefullifetothecheckingfixture,aswellasagoodqualityand
precisionthroughouttime,itisadvisabletocarryoutmaintenanceoperationson
checkingfixtures;acalibration,forexample,isveryimportanttoreadjustallthe
fixationandcheckingelementsofthecheckingfixture,andthusmakesurethatit
willcontinuetocheckpartswiththesamelevelofreliability.
Cleaning frequently the checking fixture will also help to make sure that the RPS
and checking elements are still precise and userfriendly. It is also important to
checkthatnoelementisrusting.
Keepingyourcheckingfixturescleanandinagoodstatewillhelpyoutobesure
thatyouarecheckingyourpartsmorequicklyandwithmorereliability,andwill
alsogiveagoodimageofyourcheckingmethodstoyourcustomers.
Page27of28XavierConesaFoix
GladysBecerra
HowtoWriteTechnicalSpecificationsHandbook
April2010
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MeasureControlBlog,www.measurecontrol.com,March2010
Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/,March2010
6TLEngineering,http://www.6tl.es/index.asp,March2010
Construx,http://www.construx.com/,March2010
Fundibeq,http://www.fundibeq.org/,March2010
CNOMO,http://www.cnomo.com/,March2010
Scribd,http://www.scribd.com/,March2010
ThismanualhasbeencreatedbyTecnomatrixanditsauthorsXavierConesaand
GladysBecerra.Thankyoufordistributingthisebooktoeveryonewhomaybe
interestedinit,withoutmodifying,copyingorsellingit.
- 1steditionofthemanual:March2010
- 2ndeditionofthemanual:April2010
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GladysBecerra