Jigs and fixtures are used to make the manufacturing and assembly processes easier and more reliable, reducing cycle times and increasing operator safety.
Generally, manufacturers often make these tools from metal through machining processes, whether done in-house or outsourced. However, depending on the forces the workpiece must withstand, in some cases, it may not be necessary to produce these tools from metal.
Materials for Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing have advanced significantly, with various functional resins suitable for printing jigs and fixtures using 3D printers, including Formlabs Standard Resins and Formlabs Engineering Resins. Manufacturers worldwide have adopted these materials in place of metal fixtures in automated machining processes, electronics assembly lines, foundries, and many other manufacturing locations.
Read on for 7 specific examples of jigs and fixtures that can be 3D printed, to inspire you to start incorporating 3D printing into your production line.
This blog article is an excerpt from our white paper, Designing 3D Printed Jigs and Fixtures. Download the full white paper for a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of jig and fixture design, best practices for designing 3D printed jigs and fixtures, and tips for validating printed fixtures.
Soft Workholding Jaws
Soft workholding jaws are designed to be customized to closely match the specific shape of each workpiece, allowing for better gripping of complex parts and helping to prevent marks on soft metal or plastic workpieces.
3D printing with materials like Formlabs Tough Resin is ideal for producing soft jaws and jigs due to its fast production speed and low manufacturing costs, especially when dealing with complex shapes.
A workpiece being held between soft jaws, printed with Formlabs Tough Resin
Drill Guides
Drill guides help prevent drill bits from wandering or wobbling out of position, allowing for the maintenance of specified angular tolerances and roundness of drilled holes.
A press fit bushing installed in a drilling jig, printed with Formlabs Tough Resin.
Bushings for drill guides come in both press fit and screw-in types and can be sourced from industrial supply vendors like McMaster-Carr, with bushings specifically designed for use with plastics being most suitable for SLA printed jigs.
Refer to the tolerancing guidelines from our Engineering Fit White Paper to determine the correct hole sizes for press fitting.
Go/No-Go Gauges
Simple tolerance checks using templates or gauges can help quality inspectors quickly determine whether a workpiece is fit for its intended purpose.
3D printed go/no-go gauges are useful when the functionality of a workpiece depends on slight variations in shape and size that cannot be easily or quickly measured with standard measuring tools like calipers, micrometers, or other measuring devices, such as in the case of complex-shaped rubber parts.
A go/no-go gauge for checking rubber gaskets, printed with Formlabs Clear Resin.
Go/no-go gauges are a quick and low-cost way to add additional quality checks in an assembly line or production line.
Tip: In some applications, gauges may wear out over time, which can lead to quality control (QC) errors. Due to their low cost and ease of production, 3D printed gauges can be easily reprinted and replaced on a predetermined schedule or as needed to prevent quality deviations caused by worn gauges, which is particularly evident when the workpieces that contact the go/no-go gauge are hard metals.
Assembly Jigs
For many products, connecting parts and installing fasteners to create sub-assemblies or complete assemblies is the most labor-intensive part of the manufacturing process.
3D printing assembly jigs specifically designed for the workpieces helps reduce cycle times, improve ergonomics for assembly workers, and increase consistency of parts on the production line.
An assembly jig used in the production of the Formlabs Form 2 3D printer.
Disassembly Jigs
Disassembly is necessary for inspecting non-conforming products, correcting errors, or accessing equipment for maintenance and repair.
Using disassembly jigs speeds up this process and reduces the risk of breaking parts. For example, separating snap-fit frame parts requires all latches to be released simultaneously to prevent damage to the workpieces.
A disassembly jig for separating snap-fit frames, printed with Formlabs White Resin.
Bonding Jigs
The low cost of 3D printed bonding jigs makes regularly replacing these parts more acceptable compared to jigs produced through machining from plastic or metal.
In theory, bonding jigs are well-designed and maintained to avoid needing to be resurfaced or discarded, but in practice, this greatly depends on the labor and work culture of each factory.
Adhesive is being applied to a workpiece inside a bonding jig, printed with Formlabs Durable Resin.
Tip: Coating bonding jigs with a release agent will make it easier to clean up any cured adhesive that may spill onto the jig.
Templates for Labeling, Marking, and Masking
3D printed jigs are useful for low-force tasks, such as ensuring that labeling is precisely in the same position across multiple workpieces or masking areas for marking.
Using Formlabs Flexible Resin, conformal mask templates can be designed to fit snugly against the surface of the workpiece.
For tasks requiring a stiffer template, Formlabs Durable Resin is also a suitable option.
A hinged jig for volumetric marking, printed with Formlabs Tough Resin and Formlabs Durable Resin.
Placeholder Parts
Although not a fixture or jig directly, placeholder parts are often used to test fixtures or jigs in advance before using actual workpieces, allowing production and assembly lines to start operating sooner and troubleshoot process issues before entering actual production.
Placeholder parts enable the validation of manufacturing processes using low-cost 3D printed workpieces instead of risking the use of high-value and fragile parts, such as electronic equipment.
Parts printed with SLA technology are ideal for use as placeholder parts due to their high dimensional accuracy and ability to convey small details that are critical for troubleshooting manufacturing or operational issues, which Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or other printing processes may not achieve. Additionally, SLA printed parts have high isotropic properties, making them behave more like injection-molded parts than FDM parts, which exhibit anisotropic characteristics.
Learn more about how Google ATAP used placeholder parts printed with Formlabs High Temp Resin to reduce the lead time of critical parts by up to 85% while saving over $100,000.
Improving Jig and Fixture Design
Download the full 20-page white paper to learn the principles behind creating effective jigs and fixtures, focusing on using 3D printing to reduce costs, shorten development times, and create more efficient manufacturing processes, from design engineers to technicians on the production floor.
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References
https://formlabs.com/blog/replacing-machined-jigs-fixtures-3d-printed-parts/
