Work Holding and Tooling Considerations

It involves pallets/fixtures, tool identification systems, tool changers, coolant, and chip removal systems. This has the following features:

• Before machining is begun on the parts, they are mounted on fixtures. Thus, fixtures should be designed in a way, to minimize part-handling time. Modular fixturing has come up as an attractive method to fixture a variety of parts rapidly.
• The utilization of automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) and material handling systems, such like AGVs, lead to high usage of fixtures.
• All of the machining centres are well equipped along tool storage systems called as tool magazines. Duplication of the most frequently used tools in the tool magazines is allowed to ensure the least non-operational time. Furthermore, employment of quick tool changers, tool regrinders and provision of spares also help for the similar.