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Stock Program & Fixturing Strategy

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Stock Program

6061-T651 aluminum bar stock

A standardized billet catalog of 6061-T651 rectangular bar stock eliminates per-job material procurement delays. The AI-CAM system automatically selects the smallest billet that envelops the part geometry.

Billet Catalog

Size Class Billet Dimensions (inches) Typical Use
Small 4x4x4, 4x4x6, 4x6x6 Brackets, small housings, sensor mounts
Medium-Small 6x6x6, 6x6x8, 6x8x8 Motor mounts, gearbox housings
Medium 8x8x8, 8x8x10, 8x10x10 Robot joint assemblies, enclosures
Medium-Large 10x10x10, 10x10x12, 10x12x12 Structural frames, large housings
Large 12x12x12, 12x12x16 Base plates, large structural components
Max Envelope 12x16x16, 16x16x16 Full-envelope parts, custom fixturing blanks
  • Saw-cut tolerance: ±0.020 inches on Jet HVBS-712D horizontal bandsaw
  • All billets barcode/RFID tracked from receiving through machining
  • Min/max inventory thresholds with automated reorder triggers
  • Automated billet selection by AI-CAM based on part bounding box

Fixturing Strategy

A two-tier fixturing system enables zero-setup for first operations and rapid custom fixturing for second operations.

First Operations: Lang Makro-Grip on Zero-Point

Lang Makro-Grip vises on Quick-Point zero-point rails

  • Lang Quick-Point zero-point base plates permanently mounted to each DVF 5000 table
  • Swappable Lang Makro-Grip 125 5-axis vises in three sizes:
    • Small (155mm range): 4x4 through 6x6 billets
    • Medium (255mm range): 6x8 through 10x10 billets
    • Large (355mm range): 10x12 through 16x16 billets
  • Zero-point interface: <0.005mm repeatability, <30 second vise swap
  • 3 vise sizes per machine, stored on near-machine staging racks
  • Lang stamping unit for form-fit clamping, tungsten-carbide jaw coating kit

Second Operations: SLS-Printed Soft Jaws

SLS-printed soft jaws holding a machined part

  • 2x Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W SLS printers (Nylon 12, Nylon 12 GF, Nylon 11, TPU)
  • Formlabs Fuse Sift depowdering + Fuse Blast media blasting
  • Dedicated SLS workbench with downdraft ventilation, HEPA vacuum, PPE
  • Automated soft jaw design from first-op geometry, 12-16 hour print cycles