Modular CMM Plate

(CMMs) are a popular means of measuring parts accurately and quickly. Some CMMs can cost more than $75,000 and may remain idle because of no productive or repeatable way for part holding. Dedicated fixtures are the two most costly words in industry. Manufacturers spend millions every year on dedicated fixtures for holding parts on CMMs. Most of these fixtures never pass gage R/R and end up as scrap or stored as though they will improve with age. Implemented correctly, a CMM can be one of the best decisions a company can make. The payback on a CMM can be very quick, by providing fast and accurate data in order to make timely decisions for continuous improvement. The selected method of holding parts on a CMM can determine the success of the CMM and the company.

Fortunately, a company that specializes in CMM flexible fixturing is Rayco Manufacturing inc. Sterling Heights, Michigan 48310. The patented fixtures are distributed & manufactured by Rayco Manufacturing inc. The Rayco CMM Fixture is a modular flexible fixture system based on a precision-drilled platform using interchangeable components for part holding. These components consist of: stand-offs, special patented vacuum cups, magnets, and clamps.

Advantages of the Rayco CMM Fixture

Faster/easier part setups Components are simple to set up and can be quickly re-arranged in configurations limited only by the user's imagination. Part setups play an important part in making the CMM more utilized. There is no need for cumbersome, unrepeatable traditional fixturing such as glue, tape, clay and other methods.

Documenting and recording setups for future use

Whether it is a part measured frequently or one not seen again for some time, the CMM operator can use the alpha-numerically identified holes on the fixture plate to record that setup. the CMM operator can graphically describe part-set ups and use the documentation to share with other CMMs, customers or suppliers and for ISO and QS9000 requirements.

More accurate part measurements

Field use has shown a dramatic improvement in gage repeatability and reproducibility on CMMs due to the kinetically way the part is held. The Rayco CMM Fixture enables the user to set the part up in a free state with minimum force. This is attainable using vacuum cups, magnets and light clamping. Capability to hold a wide range of parts and materials Unlike dedicated fixtures, the Rayco CMM Fixture can hold a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. The vacuum cups allow the CMM user to hold plastic, glass, aluminum and foam. The magnets are excellent for steel and cast iron parts such as stampings and machined parts. Clamps are available for holding aluminum, zinc, brass and other types of materials. The fixture can hold everything from small parts (semi-conductors and razor blade components) to very large parts (car doors and thousand-pound castings).

Unrestricted measurement path

Rayco CMM Fixture components hold parts from below or by point contact enabling the CMM user to have full access to the part. An unrestricted probe path allows for precise measurements of part geometry and reduces probe crashes. Setup multiple parts at a time Several parts can be fixtured at once, which saves valuable time for statistical process control, capability studies, and special part measurement analysis. Semi-dedicated fixture for life of part The Rayco CMM Fixture permits the CMM operator to dedicate the fixture setup for the life of the part. Once that part is no longer being checked on a regular basis or there are engineering changes that need to be made, the setup can be broken down and re-configured. Rayco Vision Fixtures A Rayco Vision Fixture is available in an acrylic plate for vision systems. The Rayco Vision Fixture is available to fit all major brands of vision machines. The components on the Rayco Vision Fixture can be interchanged with the Rayco CMM Fixture.

Some of the top

CMM gage R/R studies and a 2-D fixture set-up program. Of the CMM users who have determined the need for a flexible fixture, sixty-five percent have chosen the Rayco CMM Fixture for cost effective solutions.