JIG AND FIXTURES

Mass production methods demand a fast and easy method of positioning work for accurate
operation on it. Jigs and fixtures are production tools used to accurately manufacture duplicate
and interchangeable parts. Jigs and fixtures are specially designed so that large number of
components can be machined or assembled identically, and to ensure interchangeability of
components. The economic production of engineering components is greater facilitated by the
provision of jig and fixtures.
The use of jig and fixture makes a fairly simple operation out of the one which would otherwise
require a lot of skills and time. Both jig and fixtures position components accurately and hold
components rigid and prevent movement during work in order to impart greater productivity and
part accuracy. A jig and fixture holds or grips work piece in the predetermined manner of
firmness and location, to perform on the work piece a manufacturing operation. A jig or fixture is
designed and built to hold, support and locate every component (parts) to ensure that each is
drilled or machined within the specified limits. The correct relationship and alignment between
the tool and the work piece is maintained.
Jigs or fixtures may be large (air plane fuselage is built on picture frame fixtures) or very small
(as in watch making). Their use is limited only by job requirements and the imagination of the
designer. The jigs and fixtures must be accurately made and the material used must be able to
withstand wear and operational (cutting) forces experienced during metal cutting. Jigs and
fixtures must be clean, undamaged and free from swarf and grit. Components must not be forced
into a jig or a fixture.
Jigs and fixtures are precision tools, are expensive to produce because they are made to fine
limits from materials with good resistance to wear and must be properly stored or isolated to
prevent accidental damage, and they must be numbered and identified for future use.

JIG
Jig is a frame or body which holds and positions the work and guides the cutting tool
during machining operation (e.g. drilling, reaming, tapping etc). Jigs are usually fitted with
hardened steel bushings for guiding drills or other cutting tools.
The work piece to be drilled is held and positioned in the drilling jig while bushes guide the drill
for making holes at the desired positions in the work piece.

FIXTURE
A fixture is a production tool that locates, holds and supports the work securely in a fixed
orientation with respect to the tool so that the required machining operation can be
performed.
It differs from a jig in the sense that the fixture does not guide the cutting tool and is used only to
hold work rigidly while machining operations such as milling, planning, shaping, etc. are being
performed on the work piece.

A fixture should be securely fastened to the table of the machine upon which the work is done.
1
Whereas jigs are connected with operations, fixtures are related to specific machine tools.

ADVANTAGES OF USING JIGS AND FIXTURES

i. Manufacturing costs are reduced when large numbers of identical and interchangeable
parts are produced.
ii. Jigs and fixtures eliminate marking out on the work piece before machining, thereby
reducing the production time.
iii. Since work piece is automatically located in the right position and the tool is guided,
a) Machining accuracy is improved
b) Semi-skilled workers can be employed.
iv. Production work is rapid and productivity is improved
v. Assembly of components (parts) is facilitated because they are identical and
interchangeable.
vi. Due to high clamping rigidly of jigs and fixture, high power machines can be used and
at higher speeds, feeds and depth of cut.
vii. Setting up of work on machine becomes easier and it reduces fatigue by the worker.
viii. Quality of component part improves and results in overall economy.

JIG AND FIXTURE CONSTRUCTION

Jigs and fixtures are designed for specific jobs; their body may be built-up, welded or cast.
Commercial components are available in a wide range of sizes, types and shapes in order to
design and build different types of jigs and fixtures out of them.
The complexity of a jig and fixtures is determined by:
(a) The number of pieces that must be produced,
(b) The degree of accuracy required, and
(c) The number and kind of machining operations that must be performed.

ELEMENTS OF JIGS AND FIXTURES

The main elements of jig and fixtures are:
(a) Locating elements; it determines the position of the work piece with respect to the
cutting tool.
(b) Clamping elements; for securing the work piece.
(c) Tool grinding (jig) or cutter setting (fixture) element; for imparting the required
direction of motion to the cutting tool or properly positioning it with respect to the work
piece.
(d) Indexing or rotary elements; accurately changing the position of the work piece with
respect to the cutting tool.
(e) The body, base or frame carries all the other elements.
(f) Fastening parts; holding the elements together.

2
 (g) Power devices for operating the clamping elements. In some jigs and fixtures the work
piece is located and clamped by single mechanism. It is called locating and stopping
element.

DEGREES OF FREEDOM
An unrestricted object in space is free to move in any of six possible directions, and thus is said
to have six degrees of freedom.

The figure shows a rectangular object with three axes or planes, along which movement may
occur.
An object is free to revolve around or move parallel to any axis in either direction. To visualize
this, the planes have been marked 1, 2 and 3 while rotary motions are marked 4, 5 and 6.

The term location refers to a definite relationship between the work piece and the cutting tool of
a jig or fixture. Correct location of the work piece with respect to the cutting tool is essential in
order to produce accurate, identical and interchangeable parts. The function of location is done
by locators and the movement of part (work piece) is restricted by clamps.
Each jig or fixture is composed of number of elements of which clamps and locators are the most
important to consider in connection with locating the wok piece.

3
Locating element place the work piece in essentially the same position cycle after cycle.
In order to accurately locate a part in a jig or fixture, all these six movements must be restricted
by arranging suitable locating points and then clamping the parts in position.
For restricting the movements, pin type or button-type locators may be used. They minimize the
chance of error by limiting the area of contact and raising the part above the chips.
The type of locator selected is largely a function of the shape of the work piece and more
particularly the shape of the reference surface. Different locating devices are discussed below:

The following three methods are used to locate work from a flat surface:
i. Solid supports (locators),
ii. Adjustable supports,
iii. Equalizing supports

The terms locators and supports are used interchangeably when discussing the devices used
under a work piece. The locating tools are used to reference the edges of a part are called
locators or stops.
Adjustable supports are used when the surface is rough or uneven, such as in cast parts. There
are threaded type, spring type, and the push type of adjustable supports. The threaded types are
the easiest, most economical and have a larger adjustment range than the others.

Adjustable locators are normally used with one or more solid locators to allow any adjustment
needed to level the work.

Locators for Locating from an Internal Diameter

Locating a part from a hole is the most effective way to accurately position work. Several types
of locators are used for locating work from holes.

Locating from external profile

The most common method of locating work in the early stages of machining is to do so from an
external profile or outside edge. Profile locators position the work in relation to an outside edge
or outside of a detail, such as hub or boss.
The following are a few examples of the most common ways a part can be located from its
profile.

4
 EJECTORS
Ejectors are employed to remove work piece from close-fitting locators, after the work piece has
been machined. They speed up the unloading of the work piece from the jig or fixture while
increasing the production rate.

CLAMPING DEVICES
A clamp is a device that
(a) Holds the work piece firmly against the locators provided, and
(b) Also, resist all forces generated by the cutting action of the tool on the work piece or
it can use the cutting forces to its own advantage.
A clamping device ensures proper location and centering of the work piece.
Requirement of efficient clamping
The axioms of successful clamping are that:
i. The work piece must be clamped over a solid supporting point, and not at a position
which is liable to cause distortion.
ii. There should be dependable contact between the work piece and the clamping
elements in order displacement and vibration of the work piece during operation.
iii. The clamping devices of jigs and fixtures must be reliable in operation, simple in
design and convenient for maintenance.
iv. The clamping devices must not deform, bend, or damage, the work piece.
v. The clamping device should be such that the work piece can be clamped and
unclamped with minimum effort of the operator and minimum loss of time.
Types of clamps
The type of clamp to be used depends upon:
i. The shape and size of work piece,
ii. The type of jig and fixture being used, and
iii. The work to be done.
The tool designer should choose the clamp which is the simplest, easiest to use, and most
efficient.
Different types of clamps are:
a) Strap clamps
b) Swing clamps
c) Cam clamps
d) Edge clamps
e) Screw clamp

5
 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
(b) Strap clamps are the simplest clamps and are used in almost every area of jigs and fixture
design and construction. The basic operation of these clamps is the same as a lever, and can
either be manual (nut, hand knobs, and cams) or power driven (hydraulic or pneumatic)
devices.
(c) Screw clamps

Screw clamps offer almost unlimited application potential, lower cost and in many cases, less
complex designs.
Screws clamps use the torque developed by the screw thread to hold a part in place. This is done
by direct pressure or by acting on another clamp as in the figure above.
The only disadvantage of using screw clamps is their relatively slow operating speeds.
(d) Swing clamps
A swing clamp combines the screw clamp with a swinging arm which pivots its mounting stud.
The rapid action needed is accomplished by the swinging arm as shown in figure below.

(e) Hook clamps

A hook clamp is similar to the swinging clamp.
Hook clamps are useful in tight places or where several small clamps must be used rather than
one large clamp as shown in the figure below.

(f) Quick-acting knobs

Quick acting knobs are useful for increasing the output of low- cost tools. These knobs are made
so that when pressure is released, they can be tilted and slid off a stud as shown below. The knob
is slide over the stud until it contacts the part. It is then tilted to engage the threads and turned
until tight.

(g) Cam action clamps

Direct pressure cam clamps are provided where there is a strong vibration present. This might
cause the clamp to loosen, creating a dangerous situation. Direct pressure cam clamp must be
positioned to resist the natural tendencies of the clamp to shift or move the work when the clamp
is engaged. To prevent this movement, the clamp is always positioned so the work is pushed into
the locators when pressure is applied.

6
Indirect pressure cam clamps as in figure (b) decreases the possibility of loosening or shifting the
work when clamping.
There are three basic types of cams used for clamping mechanisms.
i. Flat eccentric
ii. Flat spiral
iii. Cylindrical
Commercial cam clamps use the spiral design rather than the eccentric because of its superior
holding properties and wide locking range.

(h) Wedge clamps

Wedge clamps apply the basic principle of inclined plane to hold the work in manner similar to
the cam.
There are two general forms of wedge clamps – i.e. – flat wedge and conical wedge.
Figure (a) below shows a self- releasing wedge clamps and figure (b) below shows a conical
wedge or mandrel used for hold holding work through a hole.
(i) Toggle- action clamps
Toggle clamps are fast acting. Due to the way they are made, they have the natural ability to
move completely free of the work, allowing for faster part changes.
Toggle clamps posses’ high ratio of holding force to application force.
(j) Power clamping
Power clamping unlike manual clamping makes use of hydraulic power, pneumatic power or an
air to hydraulic booster.
Power clamping though costly, has better control of clamping pressures, less wear on moving
parts of the clamp, faster operating cycle and higher efficiency.
(k) Chucks and vices
Commercially available chucks and vices when modified to suit the job at hand greatly reduce
tooling cost
(l) Non-mechanical clamping
The main types of non- mechanical clamps used for production manufacturing are:
i Magnetic chucks
ii Vacuum chucks
Non-mechanical holds parts which cannot be held practically in other devices because of size,
shape or possibility of distortion.
Magnetic chucks hold only ferrous metals parts.
Vacuum chucks are used to clamp parts which are non- magnetic or which must be clamped
uniformly.

TYPES OF JIGS
Because jigs are designed to facilitate certain processes, they are made in several basic forms and
carry names that are descriptive of their general configuration or pre-dominant features.
Jigs may be divided into two general classes:
7
 (a) Boring jigs, used to bore holes that are either too large to drill or must be made an
odd size.
(b) Drill jigs, used to drill, ream, tap, chamfer, counter bore, countersunk, reverse spot
face etc.
Drill jigs are of two types, open and closed.
Open jigs are used for simple operation where work is done on only one side of the part.
Closed or box jigs are used for parts which must be machined on more than one side.

Drill jigs can further be classified as:

i Template jig i Plate jig.

ii Sandwich jig ii Angle plate jig
iii Box jig iii Channel jig
iv Leaf jig iv Indexing jig
v Multi-station jig v Ring jig
vi Diameter jig

Types of fixtures
Fixtures are usually classified by the type of machine operations for which they are used.
The following is a partial list of different types of fixtures.

(a) Welding fixture (e) Profiling fixture

(b) Milling fixture (f) Duplex fixture
(c) Broaching fixture (g)Indexing fixture
(d) Tapping fixture (h)Vice jaw fixture

8
 i. Welding fixture
A welding fixture will position different sections accurately, hold them firmly and prevent
any movement during welding operation. The fixture positions the work in such a way that
the welding can be carried out most conveniently in the fixed position.
ii. Milling fixture
The universal adjustable milling fixture is a type that consists of locating components
mounted on keys in perpendicular T-slot. The workpieces are held by plain clamps from the
end face of the plate and, if necessary, by more powerful special clamps at the sides of the
work piece.
Such fixtures are used to perform a number of roughing operations in machining flat surfaces;
they can clamp from 3 to 4 times as many workpieces as a machining vice.

In such fixtures, the required surface finish, parallelism and squareness of all the sides of
prismatic parts are easily obtained, even with relatively narrow tolerances. Such accuracy cannot
be obtained in a vise.

iii. Profiling fixture

A profiling fixture shown is used to guide tool for machining contours which they cannot
normally follow. The contours can either be internal or external.
The figure also shows how the cam is accurately cut by maintaining contact between the fixture
and the bearing on the milling cutter. This bearing is an important part of the cutting tool and
must always be used.