Jigs and Fixtures in Manufacturing

Abstract

Standard machine tools can be converted into speciality machine tools with the help of jigs and fixtures. Jigs and fixtures continue to be employed, either alone or in conjunction with other technologies, despite the general trend toward higher quality production. Although several writers have provided valuable details on some aspects of fixture design, there is still a need for a unified approach to creating jigs and fixtures. This paper examines the fundamentals of fixture and jig design. These principles of location, clamping, and automation in fixture design form the heart of effective jigs and fixture design, which evolves irrespective of the rapid evolution of machine tools and manufacturing technologies. The ideal fixture would solve the workpiece distortion brought on by clamping and cutting force, in addition to the high productivity and machining repeatability it would otherwise provide.

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Harshwardhan Chandrakant Pandit. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
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ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 12, Issue 10, October 2022, pp. 50-55
www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-12105055 50 | P a g e
Jigs and Fixtures in Manufacturing
Harshwardhan Chandrakant Pandit*
*(Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Department of Technology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur.
Maharashtra. India. 416004).
ABSTRACT
Standard machine tools can be converted into speciality machine tools with the help of jigs and fixtures. Jigs and
fixtures continue to be employed, either alone or in conjunction with other technologies, despite the general
trend toward higher quality production. Although several writers have provided valuable details on some aspects
of fixture design, there is still a need for a unified approach to creating jigs and fixtures. This paper examines the
fundamentals of fixture and jig design. These principles of location, clamping, and automation in fixture design
form the heart of effective jigs and fixture design, which evolves irrespective of the rapid evolution of machine
tools and manufacturing technologies. The ideal fixture would solve the workpiece distortion brought on by
clamping and cutting force, in addition to the high productivity and machining repeatability it would otherwise
provide.
Keywords – Jigs, fixtures, design, manufacturing.
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Date of Submission: 01-10-2022 Date of Acceptance: 11-10-2022
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I. INTRODUCTION
Manufacturing industries have been
recognized as having a significant impact on a
nation's economic growth over the last century. Jigs
and Fixtures are terms that refer to several types of
equipment that are used in industry to facilitate
production operations, particularly labour that
involves machines. The ideal jigs and fixtures can
both repeat operations and are interchanged,
enabling the manufacturing of identical parts. Jigs
and fixtures are the most significant devices that can
help workers in the manufacturing business make
their production process more accessible. These
devices are used in the manufacturing industry. Jigs
and fixtures are essential tools that are used in
manufacturing. The tool that carries the most
significant forces can determine the workpiece's
ultimate form.
The demand for produced items has
increased significantly throughout the years.
Producers have developed creative methods for
producing high-quality products to meet the rising
demand. The production processes have undergone
significant change and evolution with the
development of various revolutionary manufacturing
concepts. Innovative methods have prompted the
necessity for inexpensive, dependable instruments
and work-holding devices.
For successful running of a manufacturing
firm, it requires a prompt and straightforward work
positioning strategy for correct operations, which is
dependent mainly on the interchangeability of
machine components and workpieces; management
of its supply chain to remain competitive is essential
for industry, reduce the enormous manufacturing
cost, and increase their profitability. This has also
increased the desire for more efficient and cost-
effective work-holding equipment to improve
product quality, cut lead time, and enhance
throughput.
A jig is holding and locating a device for
the workpiece in its location while also guiding the
cutting tool during a machining operation, whereas a
fixture is a device that locates, holds, and supports a
workpiece during a manufacturing activity. Fixtures
are critical components of manufacturing processes
since they are required in most automated
manufacturing, inspection, and assembly procedures.
Fixtures must appropriately position a workpiece
about a cutting tool, measurement equipment, or
another component, such as assembly or welding.
Such a place must be invariant because the devices
RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

Harshwardhan Chandrakant Pandit. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 12, Issue 10, October 2022, pp. 50-55
www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-12105055 51 | P a g e
must clamp and secure the workpiece for the specific
processing procedure.
Many conventional work holding devices
are frequently used in workshops and are generally
maintained in stock for general purposes, such as
collets, drill chucks, machine vices and jaw chucks.
Workpiece-specific operations typically require their
own custom-designed and fabricated fixtures. Like
fixtures, jigs keep the part in place when drilling or
boring. These instruments are collectively referred to
as jigs and fixes.
When producing a component in bulk, jigs
and fixtures are the most cost-effective means of
doing it. Because of this, jigs and fixtures are
utilized, serving as one of the most significant
facilities in the mass production system. This is a
specialized device for holding the work and guiding
the tool. The quality of the jigs and fixtures utilized
for a particular process significantly impacts the
performance quality of that process. Each fixture is
explicitly crafted to accommodate a given
component or shape that distinguishes one fixture
from another. The primary function of a fixture is to
position and, in certain instances, hold a workpiece
while the process is being performed. A jig is not the
same as a fixture because, in addition to locating and
maintaining the workpiece, it also directs the tool to
the correct position or movement during the process.
A fixture's sole purpose is to hold the tool in place.
To mass-produce identical or nearly similar
products, factories use jigs and fixtures. They are
specialized tool guidance and work holding systems
developed for industrial-scale machining and
assembly. Jigs and fixtures serve many purposes,
including cutting production costs, speeding up
production, ensuring flawless goods, making parts
interchangeable, making complex shapes easy to
machine, and lowering quality control expenses.
Eliminating the need for a unique setup for
each workpiece, jigs and fixtures facilitate
production and ensure that each workpiece is created
within a predetermined tolerance.
With jigs and fittings, you won't have to set
up each component separately manually. It was
pointed out that if a jig or fixture is set up correctly,
it is possible to mass-produce identical components
with little to no additional effort. When standard
components are used, the key advantages of jigs and
fixtures are their longevity, ease of setup, increased
productivity and decreased need for operator
decision-making.
A jig is a device used in machining to hold,
position, and support a workpiece while guiding the
cutting tool's movement. This tool's primary function
is to regulate others' positioning and motion, but it
also ensures a consistent level of precision,
interchangeability, and duplication in the final
output.
Jigs are custom-made tools that position
and manipulate other tools (Nanthakumar &
Prabakaran, 2014 [1]). They realized that a jig's
primary role in the production was to guarantee
repeatability, precision, and adaptability. Jigs for
drilling and boring are the most common, yet they
are all essentially the same apart from the bushings'
shape, kind, and placement.
Drill bushings and other tool-guiding
devices are installed in jigs to control the tool's
position within the workpiece, as described by Joshi
(2010) [2]. Because of the need to press the jig
against the table to align the many bushes in the jig
with the spindle, he found that they were rarely
fastened to the machine table. Some examples of jigs
are drilling jigs, open-type jigs, and template jigs.
Fast, accurate, and reliable machining with
repeatable quality, sharable components, and shorter
production times are all made possible with the help
of fixtures, which are mechanical devices that are
both robust and long-lasting. Fixtures are only
helpful for holding work steady; adjusting the
machine is required for proper positioning, guiding,
and locating the cutting tool.
Peshatwar and Raut (2016) [3]: An
eccentric shaft fixture design solution for ginning
machines was presented in their study. Depending
on the nature of the industry's application, a certain
kind of fixture may be necessary. The designer
creates the fixture following the dimensions required
by the industry to meet our production targets. In the
conventional production method, acting on the
eccentric shaft is essential. A fixture is vital to keep
a workpiece correctly while manufacturing activity
is being completed. Because of the eccentric nature
of the shaft, the designer was tasked with creating
the appropriate fitting for eccentric shafts as part of
the manufacturing process. Fixtures reduce the time
spent performing operations, boosting productivity
and making it easier to perform operations to a high
standard.

Harshwardhan Chandrakant Pandit. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
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ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 12, Issue 10, October 2022, pp. 50-55
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In addition to defining jigs and fixtures in
detail, Kumbhar and Pandit (2017) list the numerous
advantages of using jigs and fixtures in production,
including some of the following: a rise in output, a
drop in cost, interchangeability and high accuracy of
components, a decrease in the cost of inspection and
quality control, a decrease in accidents due to better
safety, a noticeable improvement in the automation
of machine tools, and ease of machining A specific
type of fixture might be required according on the
application's nature in the business. This can be done
by choosing the ideal location for the fixture's
different parts, including the clamps and locators.
The fixture must be assembled by hand to use the
component. As a result, a longer cycle time is
necessary for loading and discharging the material.
During industrial and machining processes,
a fixture's principal purpose is to identify and, in
some cases, hold a workpiece, as stated by Kaija and
Heino (2006)[15]. What sets fittings apart, he said, is
that they are custom-made to fit a given profile or
element.
II. FIXTURE ELEMENTS
In general, all fixtures are made up of the following
components [6]:
1. Locators: A fixture has a locator as one of its
components. Limiting the motion amount
may help establish and keep a part in its
designated location within a fixture. A
locator's settings can be modified to
accommodate work components with more
remarkable morphological and topographic
diversity.
2. Clamps: The mechanism that exerts a force
on a fixture is known as a clamp. The
forces applied by the clamps prevent any
other external forces from acting on a
component from dislodging it from its
position within the fixture.
3. Supports: A support is a fixture member that
can be either fixed or adjustable. When
significant component movement or
deflection is anticipated as a result of the
action of imposed clamping and processing
pressures, supports are added and placed
below the workpiece to prevent or constrain
the deformation that would otherwise
occur. The supports need to be compatible
with the locators and clamps, even if they
are more extensive than required to
determine the part's positioning.
4. The jig body, The primary component of a
jig's framework is what is often referred to
as the tool body. It maintains the spatial
connection between the other pieces,
including the locators, clamps, supports,
and the machine tool used to treat the item.
The usage of fixtures provides advantages
such as eliminating individual marking locations and
periodic checking before the machining operation
begins, resulting in significant savings in setup time.
Furthermore, using work holding devices reduces
operator labour by simplifying finding and clamping
operations and allows for the substitution of expert
labour.
Fig. No. 1. Elements of Jigs and Fixtures [6]
III. GENERAL FIXTURE
REQUIREMENTS
An operating fixture must meet specific
characteristics to fully perform its functions as a
work holding device and keep the workpiece stable
during the machining process. While designing a
feasible fixture, the following limitations must be
met.
1. Deterministic positioning: A locator holds
the workpiece in place so it may be
machined. To correctly position the
workpiece in the machine's coordinate
frame, errors in positioning induced by
locators and workpiece locating surfaces
must be minimized.
2. Containment of deflection: Workpiece
deformation is inevitable for reasons
including the workpiece's own
elastic/plastic properties and the external
pressures caused by clamping actuation and
machining operations. The amount of

Harshwardhan Chandrakant Pandit. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 12, Issue 10, October 2022, pp. 50-55
www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-12105055 53 | P a g e
deformation must be kept within acceptable
limits if the tolerance standards are met.
3. Geometric Restrictions: All fixturing
components must be able to touch the
datum surface, which is ensured by the
geometric limitation. Further, they watch
over the fixture parts to make sure they
don't get in the way of the machine's blades.
4. The design of a fixture should also have
desirable features, such as a minimal
number of components, mobility,
accessibility, design for several cutting
operations, quick loading and unloading,
and an affordable price.
IV. ADVANTAGES OF JIGS [6]
Among the benefits of jigs and fixtures are, but are
not limited to, the following:
 Production expansion;
 Low variation in dimensions, resulting in
the consistent quality of manufactured
goods;
 Expense reduction;
 Guarantees the interchangeability and high
precision of parts;
 Reduces costs associated with inspection
and quality control;
 Reduces accidents by increasing safety;
 They are simple for semi-skilled machine
operators to operate, hence reducing labour
costs;
 The machine tool is automatable to a
significant degree;
 Complex and heavy components can be
machined with relative ease;
 Simple assembly procedures reduce labour
costs and the number of defective goods;
 They eliminate the need for measurement,
marking out, punching, placement,
aligning, and setting up for each item of
work, hence decreasing the cycle and setup
time;
 Enhances the technological capabilities of
machinery;
 It is possible to apply many tools
concurrently to a workpiece;
 Due to the improved clamping capability of
jigs and fixtures, it is possible to set greater
values for certain operating circumstances,
such as depth of cut, speed, and feed rate.
V. DESIGN OF JIGS AND FIXTURES [6]
Numerous variables are studied to
determine the optimal design for jigs and fixtures to
achieve maximum output.
Jigs must be rotated numerous times so that
holes may be drilled at different angles. Because of
this, they should be sturdy and lightweight materials
so they can be easily handled. It is recommended
that four feet be provided for any jigs that are not
bolted to the machine tool. This may allow the
operator to be notified immediately if the jig is not in
the correct position on the table. The procedures of
accurately locating the workpiece concerning the
cutting tool, rigidly supporting the workpiece during
machining, tightly clamping the workpiece, directing
the tool position, and securing the jig to the machine
tool are all provided by drill jigs.
To accomplish their intended purposes, jigs and
fixtures comprise numerous components:
 The degree of automation, capacity, and
kind of the machine tool that can utilize jigs
and fixtures;
 Clamping-equipped frame or body and
base; The availability and precision of
plates or indexing systems;
 Bushings and tool guiding frames for jigs;
blank orientation availability and
positioning devices in the machine;
 Auxiliary components; the machine tool
strength under consideration; the required
product precision level requirements;
fastening components; the machine tool's
accessible safety measures.
 Fluctuation levels of a machine tool also
need to be considered.
VI. MATERIAL OF JIGS AND FIXTURES
Jigs and fixtures can be produced from various
materials, each of which has distinct advantages.
The materials can potentially be used to produce
fixtures resistant to wear and tear. Often undergo
tempering and hardening. In addition, phosphor
bronze has a more significant number of non-ferrous
metals, composites, and nylons to reduce the amount
of wear that mating components experience and
prevent damage. Prevention strategies are also

Harshwardhan Chandrakant Pandit. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications
www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 12, Issue 10, October 2022, pp. 50-55
www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-12105055 54 | P a g e
implemented during the manufacturing process. a
few of the following topics are covered in this
section:
1. Phosphor Bronze [6]: It is utilized in
producing fittings and fixtures for
procedures such as the production of
interchangeable clamping nuts. Vices and
uncontrolled feedings are two examples of
systems that require screws. Phosphor-
made bronze retaining nuts that are
replacement bronze are often used to reduce
the degradation and wear of screws. This is
possible since the fabrication of screws is
highly complicated, costly, and time-
consuming.
2. Die Steels [6]: the three kinds of die steel –
are high chromium (12%), high carbon (1.5
to 2.2%), and low temperature. Working
steels are used to manufacture jigs and
fixtures. Equipment for manufacturing
thread forming rolls, in addition to the
fabrication of press tools. In alloys
containing vanadium and molybdenum, it
can keep their hardness at extremely high
temperatures. Die steels manufacture high-
temperature jigs and fixtures for high-
temperature work, including extrusion,
forging, and casting processes.
3. High-Speed Steels [6]: These are high-
speed steels with chromium added. The
greater the percentage of tungsten and the
lower the percentage of chromium and
vanadium, the more significant the better
strength. Hardenability, high-temperature
hardness retention, excellent resistance to
wear, tear, and impact are all characteristics
of a material that can be hardened. When
they are used in making jigs and fixtures,
they are referred to as "used."
Instrumentation for machining processes
such as boring, reaming, drilling, and
sawing.
4. Carbon Steels [6]: carbon steels are
tempered with oil. Several pieces of jigs
and fixtures are manufactured with these
techniques. Which are subject to wear and
tear like locators—jig bushes.
5. Mild steels [6]: mild steel has a carbon
content of approximately 0.29l. Because of
carbon's inherent simplicity, it can be
obtained at a meagre cost. When making
fixtures with jigs, the best material to
choose is typically the readily available
one. Other materials used in producing jigs
and fixtures include nylon and fibre, steel
castings, stainless steel, high-strength steel,
and high-strength steel castings.
VI. CONCLUSION
Jigs and fixtures are the production tools in
the hands of the designer. A proper, well thought
and efficient design of these tools can improve the
production performance and impact productivity and
the production rate, thus avoiding the wastage of
crucial resources.
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www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622-12105055 55 | P a g e
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Harshwardhan Chandrakant Pandit. ―Jigs and Fixtures in Manufacturing.‖ International
Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA), vol.12 (10), 2022, pp 50-55.