Omni Structures Turn-Key Case Study: Appliance Door Fixture

The customer’s request started as simply the means to hold appliance doors. At first the suggestion was for a large frame that would adapt to doors of all sizes.

In the final design the means to adapt to various sizes is partially based on locating to the left / right vertical sides for part width. A major advancement over a fixed frame was the vertical adjustment of the upper beam that holds the top location and clamping components. The fixture frame will hold all doors in the customer’s current line-up.

As the project progressed multiple fixture stations were added and then loading the parts became a concern. Loading was solved with a sliding system to pull the fixture off the side of the CMM.  The final design allows the frame to move about 3/4 off of the CMM. 

Just an FYI, the customer moved the CMM from an initial location, this required turning the fixtures to load on the other side; by design the fixture worked on either side.

There are two similar installations, the first has four fixture frames.  The second installation has six frames on a 6 meter CMM. The frames are spaced about 24” apart, just enough to walk between and still have room at the front of the machine for other measuring projects.