Abstract
In high accuracy and precision machining, the quality of products is highly affected by the workpiece setup, the process plan, and fixture design. Often the cutting path and force distribution are determined during process planning before the fixture planning is proceeded. Further, during fixturing planning, some process drawbacks are fed-back to the process plan for modification so that the process plan can be improved. In combination with finite element analysis and loading-strain experiments, this paper investigates the effects of workholding and workpart variation on the machining accuracy of an automotive part - the differential carrier. Moreover, the fixture hardware design is investigated to validate whether the functional requirements of fixture hardware are satisfied. This paper develops a systematic approach for fixture planning. By integrating methods of computer-aided engineering, loading-strain experiments, and fixture hardware design analysis, the result of fixture plan can be reconfirmed and is more reliable. A correct fixture plan can keep deformation of workparts under control so that machining errors occurred on the shop-floor can be significantly reduced.