Analysis of Reaction Forces in Fixture Locating Points: An Analytical, Numerical, and Experimental Study

Abstract

Reaction forces are one of the key parameters in the fixture design procedure. They are generated at the fixture locating points by application of the clamping forces and machining loads. They are used as input values in several stages of the fixture design procedure. In this paper, an analytical model has been developed based on the minimum norm principle to calculate these forces at the fixture locating points. Numerical simulations and experimental tests have been performed on a 3D polyhedral workpiece to validate the theoretical predictions. The simulations have been performed using Abaqus® software and experimental tests have been conducted using an experimental setup consisting of a fixture and a 3D polyhedral workpiece. An appropriate agreement was observed between the theoretical, numerical, and experimental results for the normal component of reaction forces. The maximum errors of 3.9% and 15% were observed between the theoretical predictions compared to the numerical and experimental results, respectively. The effects of the influential parameters, including coefficient of friction and clamping force, were also studied on the results. The agreement between the theoretical, numerical, and experimental results indicated the efficiency of the proposed model in the rapid calculation of reaction forces in fixturing 3D polyhedral workpieces.