GB2338914A - Clamp or support surface for a workpiece - Google Patents

Clamp or support surface for a workpiece Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2338914A
GB2338914A GB9814220A GB9814220A GB2338914A GB 2338914 A GB2338914 A GB 2338914A GB 9814220 A GB9814220 A GB 9814220A GB 9814220 A GB9814220 A GB 9814220A GB 2338914 A GB2338914 A GB 2338914A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
location block
location
workpiece
tool
clamp
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9814220A
Other versions
GB9814220D0 (en
Inventor
Neil John Pitchford
Kenneth William Young
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MG Rover Group Ltd
Original Assignee
MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by MG Rover Group Ltd filed Critical MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority to GB9814220A priority Critical patent/GB2338914A/en
Publication of GB9814220D0 publication Critical patent/GB9814220D0/en
Publication of GB2338914A publication Critical patent/GB2338914A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25B—TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING
    • B25B5/00—Clamps
    • B25B5/14—Clamps for work of special profile
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25B—TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING
    • B25B5/00—Clamps
    • B25B5/16—Details, e.g. jaws, jaw attachments
    • B25B5/163—Jaws or jaw attachments

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Powder Metallurgy (AREA)

Description

2338914 Improved Tool Assembly The present invention relates to an
improved tool assembly having particular, but not exclusive, application in the automotive industry.
When constructing a tooling assembly for use in a workstation, the location devices, upon which a workpiece is to be supported needs to be configured to present the workpiece in an optimum manner to allow the workstation best to perform its function. When dealing with a regular workpiece, this is a comparativel, sInIpIk: matter. A number of identical supports are used to provided the necessary support. Each support comprises a location block and a clamp member. The workpiece rests on the location block and is held in place by the clamp member. Each location block is individually formed by spark eroding a steel plate. This produces a robust location block. For a regular workpiece, economies of scale mean that a large number of identical location blocks can be manufactured.
However production of a one-off location block, for example to replace a broken location block, is a costly, time consuming and skilled task. Further, an irregular workpiece may require a series of individual location blocks. This pushes up the costs associated with the operation of the workstation, as does the downtime needed to prepare the workstation for a particular task. This can be a particular problem when developing a new automotive body part, where quite small changes to a panel will require refitting of the workstation location blocks.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it eliminates, or substantially reduces, these problems.
According to the present invention, a tool support apparatus comprises at least one tool unit and at least one complimentary location block, characterised in that the 5 at least one location block is formed by a rapid prototyping technique.
This has the advantage that a tool support apparatus can be quickly and cheaply constructed. This reduces the lead time required to develop different location blocks.
Preferably the at least one location block is formed by stereolithography. Alternatively, the at least one location block is formed by selective laser sintering.
Preferably the tool unit is a clamp unit.
Conveniently, the at least one location block additionally comprises a guide pin extending from the at least one location block.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a side section of a tool support apparatus according to the present invention.
Referring to the Figure, a tool support apparatus I comprises a bracket 2 to which are attached a location block 3 and a tool unit in the form of a clamp unit 4. The clamp unit 4 also incorporates a location block 5. The location units are specifically tailored to the workpieces with which they are to be used.
The location block 3,5 can be modelled using a three dimensional computer aided design (CAD) program. The model is then sectioned within the program to generate a plurality of sections. These sections are then used to generate a tool cutting path for use with a rapid prototyping machine to generate solid sections of material. The solid sections can then be assembled to form the location block.
Stereolithography can be used to generate the location blocks 3,5. In this technique a LTV laser is used to cure liquid photopolymers to form solid layers.
An alternative technique is selective laser sintering, in -which very fine powdered material and a carbon dioxide laser to melt and fuse the layers of powder to form the location blocks. The material used may include nylon, metal based materials, wax and polycarbonates. Such a process can be used to generate a location block in a matter of hours rather than the considerably longer period required to generate a similar shape by spark erosion of a block of material.

Claims (6)

-4CLAIMS
1. A tool support apparatus comprising at least one tool unit and at least one complimentary location block, characterised in that the at least one location block is formed by a rapid prototyping technique.
2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that the at least one location block is formed by stereolithography.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one location block is formed by selective laser sintering.
4. An apparatus according to any previous claim, characterised in that the tool unit is a clamp unit.
5. An apparatus according to any previous claim, characterised in that the at least one location block additionally comprises a guide pin extending from the at least one location block.
6. A method of manufacturing a tool support apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying Figure.
6. A tool support apparatus substantially as described herein with reference lo and as illustrated in the accompanying Figure.
GB9814220A 1998-07-02 1998-07-02 Clamp or support surface for a workpiece Withdrawn GB2338914A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9814220A GB2338914A (en) 1998-07-02 1998-07-02 Clamp or support surface for a workpiece

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9814220A GB2338914A (en) 1998-07-02 1998-07-02 Clamp or support surface for a workpiece

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9814220D0 GB9814220D0 (en) 1998-09-02
GB2338914A true GB2338914A (en) 2000-01-12

Family

ID=10834734

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9814220A Withdrawn GB2338914A (en) 1998-07-02 1998-07-02 Clamp or support surface for a workpiece

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2338914A (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE202008014466U1 (en) * 2008-10-30 2010-03-18 Scholl, Hans, Dipl.-Ing. Device for workpieces made of limp materials for aligning, arching, clamping, folding and transporting
EP2487005A3 (en) * 2011-02-14 2013-08-21 United Technologies Corporation Method of and apparatus for attaching by linear friction welding an airfoil to an airfoil stub using clamping supports
WO2018160922A3 (en) * 2017-03-03 2018-10-11 Roland Zellweger Fixturing collet arrangements and fabrication methods
DE102018203718A1 (en) * 2018-03-13 2019-09-19 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Clamping device, clamping device with clamping devices and clamping device

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1443171A (en) * 1973-01-17 1976-07-21 Brown Brownall Ltd Donald Pipe fittings
US4877227A (en) * 1986-06-30 1989-10-31 Dowell Australia Ltd. Apparatus for machining a work piece and a jig assembly for holding the work piece
US5048808A (en) * 1988-12-05 1991-09-17 Yang Tai Her Clamping devices for irregular shaped workpieces
JPH09207228A (en) * 1996-02-06 1997-08-12 Toshiba Corp Optically shaping device
JPH1088201A (en) * 1996-09-10 1998-04-07 Hiroshi Nakazawa Method for compacting powder applying laser beam

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1443171A (en) * 1973-01-17 1976-07-21 Brown Brownall Ltd Donald Pipe fittings
US4877227A (en) * 1986-06-30 1989-10-31 Dowell Australia Ltd. Apparatus for machining a work piece and a jig assembly for holding the work piece
US5048808A (en) * 1988-12-05 1991-09-17 Yang Tai Her Clamping devices for irregular shaped workpieces
JPH09207228A (en) * 1996-02-06 1997-08-12 Toshiba Corp Optically shaping device
JPH1088201A (en) * 1996-09-10 1998-04-07 Hiroshi Nakazawa Method for compacting powder applying laser beam

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
WPI Abstract Accession No. 98-090070/09 & JP 09 207 228 A *
WPI Abstract Accession No. 98-267432/24 & JP 10 088 201 A *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE202008014466U1 (en) * 2008-10-30 2010-03-18 Scholl, Hans, Dipl.-Ing. Device for workpieces made of limp materials for aligning, arching, clamping, folding and transporting
EP2487005A3 (en) * 2011-02-14 2013-08-21 United Technologies Corporation Method of and apparatus for attaching by linear friction welding an airfoil to an airfoil stub using clamping supports
WO2018160922A3 (en) * 2017-03-03 2018-10-11 Roland Zellweger Fixturing collet arrangements and fabrication methods
DE102018203718A1 (en) * 2018-03-13 2019-09-19 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Clamping device, clamping device with clamping devices and clamping device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9814220D0 (en) 1998-09-02

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)