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Session 1625

Tool Design Courseware for Modular Fixturing Applications in Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Veekit O’Charoen, Teresa J.K. Hall Western Washington University / South Dakota State University

Introduction

Tool design encompasses a variety of applied technologies, engineering knowledge, and technical skills in the modern manufacturing engineering environment. The successful tool designer must be able to incorporate computer-assisted design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), traditional machining processes, ergonomics, and applied science to solve tooling applications problems and create new tooling designs. Overlay engineering and design skill with the ability to apply cost analysis and basic business operations management and it becomes apparent that it is no small task to be a tool design engineer.

There has also been an evolution in modern manufacturing operations where modular fixturing has become a key application in cellular and demand flow systems.1 The appeal of modular fixturing to manufacturing management is it’s relatively low cost when considering all factors which included interchangeability and standardization across product lines. Purchasing modular fixturing elements, when available and appropriate, decreases the need for skilled toolmakers to fabricate one-of-a-kind fixtures, allows recycling of standard components after the production run is complete, and lowers indirect costs of maintaining expense stores inventories. Depending on the application, modular fixturing has great potential for cost savings in jigs and fixtures for automated systems.

At the same time fundamental changes were occurring in the manufacturing setting, there have been few corresponding computer-based teaching tools in the tool design applications area. Traditionally, the instructor used lecture on the topic accentuated by videos and/or CAD graphics of the tooling elements. If students were fortunate, they are given physical components to pass around, catalogs to peruse, and a tour of local manufacturing operations with processes of interest in close proximity for observation. The wide variety of tooling and fixtures are difficult to cover within a single semester, especially if consideration of related topics on gaging, cutting tools, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing are included. 2

The need for interactive teaching tools for discreet technical fields such as modular fixturing in tool design applications is indicated and as a result, the primary author has created ToolTRAIN© courseware as a solution to this problem.

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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O'Charoen, V., & Hall, T. (2004, June), Tool Design Courseware For Modular Fixturing Applications In Manufacturing Engineering Technology Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13421