3D Design automation for jigs & fixtures

November 12, 2019

Twikit is always looking for ways to facilitate our clients’ goals by taking some of the work out of their hands. We conduct research into what can be improved and which parts of the process are the most costly and time-consuming. Our goal is to help the client find suitable ways to reduce expenses and eliminate unnecessary production time.

In the automotive industry, we noticed that +50% of effort (time and money) are related to the 3D design data creation. This means that designers need to do an enormous amount of work within a limited period of time.
 
Automate design to production

To help, we developed an internal software tool that dramatically reduces both the time and manual design costs in creating jigs, while at the same time streamlining the process all the way to the actual manufacturing of the production tool itself up to 3D printing.

The advantages of this software application are the following:

  • The design process no longer requires a couple of hours, but just a few minutes.
  • The quality of the end result is just as good as if you would do this manually and more effective.
  • The procedure is straightforward which no longer requires a qualified CAD designer. As a result, employees at the assembly line are also authorized to design and modify tools on their own.
  • Lower weight in comparison to conventionally manufactured counterparts.
  • The tool is usable in any manufacturing plant
How it works

A user-friendly interface contains the data on the car body part and can be uploaded and modified. The product template adapts to fit around the modified part.

  1. Standard elements such as handgrips, edge guides can be added to improve usability.
  2. The underlying algorithms of the software automatically generate the tool’s geometry. The output file is a watertight STL for 3D printing.
  3. The result will precisely fit the contour of the car part and guide the placement of the part needing to be attached.