Inspection tool accessoriesThe problem of long project cycle for sliding mechanism and continuous shortening of vehicle project cycle

(1) The starting time of the gauge slip mechanism is late, the design cycle is long, and the overall project cycle of the vehicle is getting shorter and shorter. The market is developing rapidly, and market demand is fleeting. The whole vehicle project is urgent. However, the activation conditions of the sliding mechanism need to be met in order to complete it. Generally, 3D data of parts, 2D drawings or bidding documents, and vehicle assembly environment data are required to determine the positioning elements and detection characteristics of the inspection tool. So the start time of the inspection tool is one month later than the start time of the mold for the formed parts, and the completion time is generally later than the mold manufacturing.

(2) The manufacturing, processing, and testing cycle of the sliding mechanism of the gauge is long, resulting in project delays. Traditionally, the processing and manufacturing of inspection tools use lathes, milling machines, wire cutting, and also require fitter assembly. Although the use of 3-axis and 5-axis CNC machining centers can shorten the machining cycle, manual assembly by fitters, adjustment of assembly accuracy, and three-dimensional detection cycles are still relatively long.

Modular and serialized design is beneficial for shortening the project cycle of inspection tools

The sliding mechanism of the measuring tool consists of a fixture base plate, a support structure, a positioning mechanism, etc. In addition, similar products from the same host factory are basically the same, and the shape of the detection module is similar. The difference in detection institutions between different host factories is not significant, which meets the prerequisite for modularity. Therefore, modular design concepts can also be adopted in the design of fixtures, replacing single order design with modular design to reduce development cycles.

In the application of modular design of gauge sliding mechanism, modules can be serialized according to different sizes and specifications, and a database of serialized specifications can be established. During design, the modules can be directly selected from the database to shorten the cycle. When establishing a database, it is possible to use the company's internal general database or a market-oriented standard industry database, which is a specialized fixture module provided by a professional fixture manufacturing company.

At present, the automotive inspection tool market in China has formed a standardized modular system. Professional companies provide standardized databases and standardized parts such as horizontal flipping mechanisms, flipping mechanisms, sliding mechanisms, positioning pins, clamping mechanisms, detection clamping mechanisms, guide pins, and guide sleeves, providing technical support for the modular and serialized design of automotive parts inspection tools.

Parameterization of fixture design platform is beneficial for shortening the project cycle of fixtures

The sliding mechanism design of the measuring tool adopts parametric design. The overall vehicle and component design structures of the same OEM are continuous, and different vehicle models and modifications generally adopt the same or similar structural design patterns. In the fixture design process, a fixture design library for the vehicle component module was established, and the fixture data of the platform vehicle module was parameterized. When designing similar products, replacing and refreshing existing sheet metal or structural data with existing surfaces can quickly achieve modular design of fixtures, and the corresponding CNC machining program of the machining center can also improve design efficiency through similar refreshing programming methods.