Challenge

Week 1:- Introduction to BiW and Fixtures Challenge

What Is Biw

Why is it called BIW?

, A folk etymology for “body in white” is the appearance of a car body after it is dipped into a white bath of primer (undercoat paint)— despite the primer’s actual gray color.

Furthermore, What is BIW in automotive industry?,

4 Body-in-White (BiW) Body-in-white (BiW) is the name given to a car body’s sheet when all its components—barring moving parts (e.g., hoods, fenders, etc.), trims (e.g., glass, seats, etc.), or chassis subassemblies—have been welded together.

Finally, What is BIW & define its parts?, 1) What is BIW & define its parts? Body in white (BIW) refers to the stage in the automobile manufacturing in which a car body’s components have been joined together, using one or a combination of different techniques: welding (spot, MIG/MAG), riveting, clinching, bonding, laser brazing etc.

What are the types of BIW?

BIW structures can be divided into following sub-structures:

  • Underbody structure.
  • Front End Structure.
  • Body side structure.
  • Closures.
  • Roof.

What does BIW mean?

4 Body-in-White (BiW) Body-in-white (BiW) is the name given to a car body’s sheet when all its components—barring moving parts (e.g., hoods, fenders, etc.), trims (e.g., glass, seats, etc.), or chassis subassemblies—have been welded together.

What is BIW in manufacturing?

Destaco products play a significant role in the automotive Body-in-White (BIW) manufacturing process. At this automotive manufacturing stage, the plain, non-painted, steel frame components are welded and assembled together to form the vehicle’s basic structure.

What does BIW mean in automotive?

Destaco products play a significant role in the automotive Body-in-White (BIW) manufacturing process. At this automotive manufacturing stage, the plain, non-painted, steel frame components are welded and assembled together to form the vehicle’s basic structure.

What is BIW process?

Body in white (BIW) is the stage in automobile manufacturing in which a car body’s frame has been joined together, that is before painting and before the motor, chassis sub-assemblies, or trim (glass, door locks/handles, seats, upholstery, electronics, etc.) have been integrated into the structure.

What is BIW system?

4 Body-in-White (BiW) Body-in-white (BiW) is the name given to a car body’s sheet when all its components—barring moving parts (e.g., hoods, fenders, etc.), trims (e.g., glass, seats, etc.), or chassis subassemblies—have been welded together.

What are the basic terminologies used in the BIW Fixture?

In this section, we will learn about some basic manufacturing parts, which are commonly used in the BIW fixture design. Very commonly used parts are Mylar, Pin, Blade, L Block, Pin Block, Riser, Weldment, etc.

Before we go to these parts we should know about shimming and should know how it works.

Shim is a set of thin plates (2 mm, 1mm, 0.5 mm, 0.25mm) that are used to adjust the gap or used for a better fit. Shimming can be of thickness 5mm, 8mm, or 10mm. in case no proper fitting between mylar and Panel due to manufacturing errors then this error can be removed using shims. Shims are placed in the carline position so that gap can be adjusted in the required direction like X, Y, or Z.

There are three types of shimming. These are one-way, two-way, and three-way shimming.

Number of shimming depends upon the NC cut angle and PIN angle with the car line.

If NC cut is less than 15 deg then mylar will have one-way shimming.

If NC cut is more than 15 deg in one direction then mylar will have a 2-way direction shimming

If NC has more than 15 deg angle in two directions then mylar will have 3-way directional shimming.

But in the case of pins, this case is a bit different. If the pin is on the angle with respect to the carline and that angle is more is not more than 15 deg then the pin will have 2-way directional shimming, if Pin’s angle is more than 15 deg in any direction then 3 shimming will be used.

MYLAR :

MYLAR is one kind of block that touches the panel and holds or clamps the panel. Mylars are always designed in CAR LINE. Mylar is also called NC(Numerically Controlled)Block. Mylars are mounted on any block or plate with Shimming, So that height of mylar can be adjusted accordingly at the assembly level. For ‘A’ class surfaces Nylon mylars are used. So that surface can be saved from scratches.

Shimming can be 1 directional, 2 directional, or 3 directional as per the NC cut.

PIN:

Pins are used to locking the rotational movement of the panel. Generally there two types of Pins, one is Round Pin and another one is a Diamond pin. We use two and three-directional shimming for pins as per the angle of the pin w.r.t. the carline. In some cases, we use a collared pin, when the pin is supposed to support the panel as well. For this kind of pin, we provide 3 way shimming irrespective of pin angle to the carline.

BLADE :

The plate which connects Riser to the Clamp cylinder is named Blade. This plate plays an important role in building the unit. The plate can be of any shape. But we need to keep in mind that the plate should be as compact as possible.

L BLOCK :

A plate shaped as L is called an L block. This part is used as a connection between mylar and Blade. Generally, L blocks are used to provide shimming. It is not necessary that L blocks are only used for shimming, its uses changes as per the requirements, At some places, it is used just to connect one part to another. Similar to the L block one more block is used which is in the shape of T. So this block is called a T Block.

PIN BLOCK :

Pin Block is also called Pin Retainer. This block holds the pin and restricts the rotational motion of the pin. Pin Block can be either manufactured one or Standard.

RISER :

The part which is mounted on the base plate and holds a clamp or pin cylinder on it, is called Riser. Riser can be Standard Part or manufactured part, it varies from project to project. A riser can be a Single part or welded part. Standard risers also have various shapes and sizes.

WELDMENT :

Weldment is the assembly of two or more parts that are joined by welding. To make a weldment it is the thumb rule to have a 5 mm overlay on each other plates so that space can be provided for welding. A weldment can be of any size and any number of plates.

BIW FIXTURE BASIC PARTS TERMINOLOGY

  • MYLAR : MYLAR is one kind of block that touches the panel and holds or clamps the panel. …
  • PIN: Pins are used to locking the rotational movement of the panel. …
  • BLADE : The plate which connects Riser to the Clamp cylinder is named Blade. …
  • L BLOCK : …
  • PIN BLOCK : …
  • RISER :
  • In this section, we will learn about some basic manufacturing parts, which are commonly used in the BIW fixture design. Very commonly used parts are Mylar, Pin, Blade, L Block, Pin Block, Riser, Weldment, etc.

    Before we go to these parts we should know about shimming and should know how it works.

    Shim is a set of thin plates (2 mm, 1mm, 0.5 mm, 0.25mm) that are used to adjust the gap or used for a better fit. Shimming can be of thickness 5mm, 8mm, or 10mm. in case no proper fitting between mylar and Panel due to manufacturing errors then this error can be removed using shims. Shims are placed in the carline position so that gap can be adjusted in the required direction like X, Y, or Z.

    There are three types of shimming. These are one-way, two-way, and three-way shimming.

    Number of shimming depends upon the NC cut angle and PIN angle with the car line.

    If NC cut is less than 15 deg then mylar will have one-way shimming.

    If NC cut is more than 15 deg in one direction then mylar will have a 2-way direction shimming

    If NC has more than 15 deg angle in two directions then mylar will have 3-way directional shimming.

    But in the case of pins, this case is a bit different. If the pin is on the angle with respect to the carline and that angle is more is not more than 15 deg then the pin will have 2-way directional shimming, if Pin’s angle is more than 15 deg in any direction then 3 shimming will be used.

    MYLAR :

    MYLAR is one kind of block that touches the panel and holds or clamps the panel. Mylars are always designed in CAR LINE. Mylar is also called NC(Numerically Controlled)Block. Mylars are mounted on any block or plate with Shimming, So that height of mylar can be adjusted accordingly at the assembly level. For ‘A’ class surfaces Nylon mylars are used. So that surface can be saved from scratches.

    Shimming can be 1 directional, 2 directional, or 3 directional as per the NC cut.

    1. A) NC/Mylars/Fingers
    • Mylars are the component that holds the panel while These are placed from topside & from the bottom side also. The top side Mylars called Clamping Mylars & the bottom side Mylars called Resting Mylars. Every clamping Mylars have resting Mylars. It doesn't allow deformation of the part due to welding stresses.

    B) Principle locating point (PLP)

    • These are the points that are used for the accurate location of the part to maintain the geometry of the part. There is lots of holes on the panel which are not accurate due to stamping operation. The PLP are defined in the drawing. The positional dimensions or relative dimensions are very precise in stamping & in fixtures also.

    PIN:

    Pins are used to locking the rotational movement of the panel. Generally there two types of Pins, one is Round Pin and another one is a Diamond pin. We use two and three-directional shimming for pins as per the angle of the pin w.r.t. the carline. In some cases, we use a collared pin, when the pin is supposed to support the panel as well. For this kind of pin, we provide 3 way shimming irrespective of pin angle to the carline.

    BLADE :

    The plate which connects Riser to the Clamp cylinder is named Blade. This plate plays an important role in building the unit. The plate can be of any shape. But we need to keep in mind that the plate should be as compact as possible.

    L BLOCK :

    A plate shaped as L is called an L block. This part is used as a connection between mylar and Blade. Generally, L blocks are used to provide shimming. It is not necessary that L blocks are only used for shimming, its uses changes as per the requirements, At some places, it is used just to connect one part to another. Similar to the L block one more block is used which is in the shape of T. So this block is called a T Block.

    PIN BLOCK :

    Pin Block is also called Pin Retainer. This block holds the pin and restricts the rotational motion of the pin. Pin Block can be either manufactured one or Standard.

    RISER :

    The part which is mounted on the base plate and holds a clamp or pin cylinder on it, is called Riser. Riser can be Standard Part or manufactured part, it varies from project to project. A riser can be a Single part or welded part. Standard risers also have various shapes and sizes.

    WELDMENT :

    Weldment is the assembly of two or more parts that are joined by welding. To make a weldment it is the thumb rule to have a 5 mm overlay on each other plates so that space can be provided for welding. A weldment can be of any size and any number of plates.

What does BIW mean in a text?

BIW

Acronym Definition
BIW Best in the World
BIW Building Information Warehouse
BIW Ben Ik Weer (Dutch: I’m Back)
BIW Built in Wardrobe (rental properties)

What does BIW mean in physical therapy?

O.W.; BIW; TIW: once a week; twice a week; three times a week.

What does bow acronym mean?

Basic Operating Weight (aviation) BOW. Back of Wall. BOW. Bill of Work.

What does TIW mean in text?

TIW

Acronym Definition
TIW There I Was… (slang; an embellished story follows)
TIW Triple-Insulated Wire
TIW The Insurance Workplace
TIW Texas Iron Works (Waco, TX)

F)Â Rough locators

  • The operator can place the part in the wrong orientation The rough locator will work as a guide while placing the part in the fixture & the part will be loaded in the desired orientation. It is a part of foolproofing.

G) Hardware

  • Hardware is like the Hex head bolts, Allen Bolts, Hex nuts, Spring washers, Self-locking nuts

H) CMM

  • CMM stands for coordinate measuring machine. It is a device that measures the geometry of physical objects by sensing discrete points on the surface of the object with a probe. It generates a report by comparing the data with the CAD file data.

I)ÂUnit

  • The fixture is the assembly of different types of units to form a part. There are different units like pin unit, base unit, clamping unit, etc.

J) Number plates

  • The number plate is the aluminum embossed plate placed on each unit for easily recognizing the part unit.

K) Nameplate

  • The data like manufacturing company name, fixture type, Fixture weight is embossed on the plate & joined to the fixture.

L) Clamp Arm

  • The clamp arm is the part of the clamp unit which moves an Over clamp arm the Mylars are mounted.

M) Pivot

  • It is an axis about which the clamp arm will rotate

N) Class A Surface/Skin surface

  • The outer panels of the car like a hood, door, backdoor, fender, roof are visible to the customer.
  • The outer panels should be aesthetically very good. No scratches or dent is acceptable over it.
  • While designing the fixture to the skin surface the clamping material should be soft, so that it could not able to left any impression or dent over the skin. generally, nylon or PU material is used for clamping purposes.

O)Reed switches & sensors

  • These are the electric components used in automated The reed switch is an electrical switch operated by an applied magnetic field. The detects the panel is loaded or not is done by sensors.

What is BIW product design?

Body in White (B.I.W.) refers to the welded sheet metal components which form the vehicles structure to which the other components will be married, i.e., engine, chassis, exterior and interior trim. Services: Welding fixture designing for complete Body shell (Side body, under body, Enclosures etc.)

What is BIW in vehicle?

Body-in-white (BiW) is the name given to a car body’s sheet when all its components—barring moving parts (e.g., hoods, fenders, etc.), trims (e.g., glass, seats, etc.), or chassis subassemblies—have been welded together.

What is the importance of an automotive BIW?

The dynamic behavior of a body-in-white (BIW) structure has significant influence on the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) and crashworthiness of a car.

What is BIW process planning?

In car body manufacturing the individual, pre-formed sheet parts of the car body, i.e. floor elements and parts for the engine cavity, side walls, roof and door components are put together. … TECOSIM engineers support different services for the process planning in the area of car body manufacture (BIW).

What is BIW automation?

Body in white (BIW) refers to the stage in the automobile manufacturing in which a car body’s components have been joined together, using one or a combination of different techniques: welding (spot, MIG/MAG), riveting, clinching, bonding, laser brazing etc. …

What is meant by BIW fixture?

Body in White (B.I.W.) refers to the welded sheet metal components which form the vehicles structure to which the other components will be married, i.e., engine, chassis, exterior and interior trim.

Fundamentals of BIW Stamping Die Design

B.I.W Geometry & Stamping dies Specialist

Stamping is the most common method of producing metal parts in the automotive industry because of its high production rate and low cost. Stamping die design is the preliminary phase in stamping tool and die making and is carried out as soon as the component design is finished. During the design phase, the necessary manufacturing methods, as well as the sequence and number of production steps, are established in a processing plan. In this plan, the availability of machines, the planned production volumes of the part, and other boundary conditions are taken into account. The aim is to minimize the number of dies to be used while keeping up a high level of operational reliability. The parts are greatly simplified right from their design stage by close collaboration between the Part Design and Production Departments in order to enable several forming and related blanking processes to be carried out in one forming station. Obviously, the more operations which are integrated into a single die, the more complex the structure of the die becomes. The consequences are higher costs, a decrease in output, and lower reliability.

The process of die design for each part begins with the sketching of the processes of the part, which will be brought separately in the compartments of a table, called the process sheet. Each one of the processes generally includes one of the principal operations such as cutting, forming, drawing, or trimming. The process sheet should contain the processes. Which form flat sheet metal to a fully formed part. Following requirements and information should be included in the process sheet:

Tool number, arranging from 1 to n (n is the last tool number).

Operation number shows the order of operations added to an "OP". e.g. OP 05. OP 10. OP 20, etc. As a rule, it. should be named the first operation to "OP10" for the"'Draw" operation. However, If a blanking operation needs before the OP10. it will add an “OP05" e.g. for a blank operation. In the case of needs to any other operations between the regular operations, it should be used a median operation name for them. For example OP05. Op10, Op15, Op20,Op25,Op30. Op40, etc.

The operation name is the name of an operation in which one of the principal operations such as Draw, form. Trim, Re-strike, etc. is to be done on the panel,

Tool size is general dimensions of tool (width, length, and height), used for choosing the appropriate press and to an estimation of the total weight of the tool.

The tonnage of the press (or press force) is the amount of minimum required force to apply operation easily. used for choosing an appropriate press.

Die specifications specify whether die should produce right hand or left-hand part or both.

The part number is an identifier for the technical number of parts.

Thickness is the thickness of raw sheet metal.

Approver Identifications with its date should contain the signature of drafter, checker, or approver with printing date.

Page number specifies the number of sheets attached.

Material specifies the raw sheet metal material used in the operations.

Blank areas are used to sketching operation processes,

The direction of feeding and pressing should be shown.

In order to preview the general concepts of die design, a detailed die layout drawing of the processes should be prepared completely before die design. Each die layout drawing should include the following information:

Title Block should contain general information such as part name, part number, tool name, tool operation number. material and thickness of sheet metal. Toolmaker name and its logo, signature of drafter, checker, and approver with printing appropriated date. Scale, sheet number, and other needed information should be added too. Title block should be placed on the right hand lower corner

Operations side Boxes should be ordered upward vertically above the title block which contains concept sketches brought from the process sheet. The following information should be included in the side boxes:

a)Operation sketch showing the operation in which one of the principal operations. such as drawing, trimming, flanging, piercing, cam pierce or other operations will be applied. In addition, the illustration of press direction and feeding the panel should be shown,

b)In order to obtain the best result in the forming of the part during the stroke of the tool, the suitable rotation angle of punch and die surfaces should be defined based on the rotation angle of CAD data during the face design if needed. In other words, the draft angles should be considered regarding the ease of ejection of the panel in direction of the press.

c)Operation name according to the assumed operations should be notified

d)Operation number according to the order number of the operations should be notified.

e)Press tonnage according to the estimated force for the assumed operations should be shown in the appropriate box.

The modifications table shows the modifications generated and announced by the client.

Notes area should be added if there is an important notification to the toolmaker.

The line type table shows the type of the used borderlines of each one of the operations with a specific pattern separately.

the procedure of loading and unloading the panel from the die, whether it is manual or automatic. should be specified.

Plan view of the panel is a single plan of the panel showing the operations from the first to the final, Each one of the operations should be defined using a specific patterned line in a legend table. The following items should be specified on the plan view.

B.I.W Geometry & Stamping dies Specialist:
  • Step By Step Improve BIW Geometry
  • The Performance of Hot Stamping Die’s Cooling System
  • Modular Platform (BIW Integration)
  • Laser Brazing In Body-In-White

WELDMENT :

Weldment is the assembly of two or more parts that are joined by welding. To make a weldment it is the thumb rule to have a 5 mm overlay on each other plates so that space can be provided for welding. A weldment can be of any size and any number of plates.

Spot weld part details for Assembly -I


Overall dimensions of Fixture -II
…

with fixture -I in IGRIP environment 5.1.3. Kinematics definition

…
+2
Weld co-ordinates for assembly -II
…

FIXTURE :

1 Introduction
In most of manufacturing processes1
, the product should be fixed securely and accurately
in front of the machine in order to desire task can be accomplished. This fixing duty is the
main role of fixtures in the industry. Fixture designing is an inevitable common task of
both design and process planning engineers and demands considerable work, time,
energy, and money. Traditional disciplines suggest the order of part design, fixture design,
and then going down to manufacture planning procedure; which means that in ‗work
holding problem‘, the part, and not the process is the primary consideration (1). However,
this method is under serious debate recently due to variety of products and need for
accurate process planning far in advance. This report will describe the need for opening a
new horizon in this topic.
1.1 Flexible Manufacturing and Flexible Plants
Presence of robots as a resource to the manufacturing process has been tied with
the term Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS). According to the definition (2)
FMS is:
―A group of machining, assembly or general fabrication stations, each supplied with
components by a variable mission conveyor system, and all controlled by computer‖.
Or (3)
“The ability of a manufacturing system to adapt to changes in environmental conditions
and in the process requirements”.
With the aid of FMS, manufacturers are now capable of changing their product or
manufacturing process as fast and as cheap as possible. By the way, this flexibility
can only be obtained by increasing the complexity of the system; which can be
called a drawback on the FMS approach. Due to development of simulation
techniques, the new tools helped engineers to overcome this complexity and so
increasing the certainty and predictability of the manufacturing systems. In
discussion with industrial partners in this project, it is observed that in most cases,
the terms simulation and modelling if used together, can cover a wide range of the
product development stage, from the part designing in CAD systems, to the
process, line and manufacturing simulation. Today, these new approaches lead the
industry to the new generation of simulation tools called ―Product Lifecycle

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Example of processes that utilizing fixture: Assembling, Boring, Broaching, Drilling, Forming, Gauging,
Grinding, Heat Treating, Honing, Inspecting, Lapping, Milling, Planning, Sawing, Shaping, Stamping,
Tapping, Testing, Turning, Welding, Robotic Spot Welding, Robotic Painting, Robotic Gluing, etc.

A device which is used to hold, locate and support the component in the manufacturing industry is called fixture. Fixtures ensure to provide the stability to the part when any process is being done on that part. That process can be welding, riveting, grinding, drilling etc. In BIW fixture design Fixture works on 3-2-1 principle.

WHAT IS 3-2-1 PRINCIPLE

Basically 3-2-1 principle is used to lock all six degree of freedom.

The 3-2-1 principle is a Component holding principle where three pins are located on the 1st principle plane, i.e. either XY, YZ, ZX. And two pins are located on the 2nd plane which is perpendicular to the 1st plane, and at last one pin on the plane which is mutually perpendicular to the 1st and 2nd planes.By using this method Componet can be arrested in all six degrees of freedom.

Assembly Line :

An assembly line is a process in which car panel/car body parts are joined as the semi finished assembly moves from one station to another station until the final product is produced.

In the process of joining in assembly line , panels are moved from one section to another sections.Those sections are called Station.

In BIW fixture designing we have various stations which are used to locate the panels so that joining processes can be done.

Some of these stations are:

  1. Geo Station
  2. Respot Station
  3. Pedestal Weld/Rivet
  4. Loading Station
  5. Buffer Station
  6. Marriage station
  7. Sealing station
  8. Curing station

1. Geo station:

In this station geometry of two parts are fixed. it can be either using welding or riveting . In this station precision and geomatry of the finished product is defined Locating pins have closer tolerence of 0/-0.15.

Suppose the hole dia of panel is 16mm then the pin dia minimum can be 15.85.

Diameter of locating pins should be lesser than the panel hole dia. So Tolrence in locating pin is given in negative value.

2. Respot Station :

Once product comes out of the Geo Station and there are left out spots where spot welding or riveting is to be done. then it is moved to another station , that station is called Re-spot station.

These left out spots may be the due to clamp plan, cycle time,robot reach ability or any other various reasons.

In this station pins ahve tolrence upto 0/-0.28.

3. Pedestal Station :

In this station , Pedestal gun is mounted on a tool and panel is manipulated manually or by robot to weld the panels.

Pedestal station is generally a Re spot station.

Re spot station and Pedestal station, both perform same kind of operation . but to decide whether to go for pedestal or a re-spot station some parameters needs to consider like cycle time, floor space, no. of welds, clamp plan, or size of the panel.

4. Loading Station :

This station is used for loading of panel and same station is used to change the orientation of the if it is required in the upcomin station.

Sometime this station is used when Robots are unable to transfer panel from one station to another.

5. Buffer Station :

This station is used to make the balance between the process.

Some stations carry out procees in lesser time as compared to their respective stations.In that case panels can be stored in one sation so that assembly line process remains smooth.

6. Sealer Station :

In this station Sealant application is carried out.This process can be carried out manually or by using robots. Sealer is used in between two panels so that panels do not flatter due to friction.

7. Marriage Station :

In this Station inner and outer panels are joined. In this station to avoid the imprssion on the outer panel(A class surface), copper strips are used in betweenn the weld tip and A-class surface.

8. Curing Station :

In this Station product recieved after sealing application, is kept idle at ambient temperature, which allows sealent to get dry with better bonding between the panel.

Fixture Elements:
Despite vast range of fixture types and applications, the common building
industrial elements of fixtures are certain and limited. This is good news,
because a good categorization of these elements can lead to deep
understanding of the types and possibility to automating the design
process. These elements usually named according to their function in the
fixture and then also divided into different sub-categories. Basic category
of fixture elements can be seen in Figure 2:
Figure 2. Fixture Main Elements
Toolbody is the base frame that the whole fixture elements will be
installed on. It can be made of several materials with different techniques
and shapes the main mass of the fixture. Supports are elements for
tolerating the force. These forces include the mass of the part, machining
forces (if any) and clamping forces. Supports are supporting the part
against these forces in a proper way and with proper contact points.
Locators are used for keep the part in the right position. They cooperate
with supports to define a unique way of keeping the part in the right
position and orientation. Clamps, as it is obvious from the name are
grasping elements of the fixture. They are insuring that the part will be
kept in the fixture securely and tightly during the process. Spring-Stop
Buttons, Spring Locating Pins, Ejectors and Lifting Devices are
optional elements. Their usage is based on the application, cost and size of
the fixture.
Fixture
Toolbody
Supports
Locators
Clamps
Accessories
Ejectors
Spring-Stop
Buttons
Spring
Locating Pins
Lifting
Devices

6
Each of these groups consists of several sub-groups which in fact are the
various types of elements and can be used upon their application and
usage. Figure 3 & Figure 4 & Figure 5 show some of these sub-groups:
Toolbody
Cast
toolbodies
Welded
toolbodies
Built-up
toolbodies
Drill
bushings
Supports
Solid
Supports
Adjustable
Supports
Threaded.
Type :
Spring Type
Push Type Equalizing
Supports
Figure 3. Supports Variations
Figure 4. Toolbody Variations
Modular Fixture Design for BIW Lines Using Process Simulate®
7
Figure 5. Clamps & Locators Variations
Locators
Internal
Locators
Large Hole
Locators
Screwed and
Doweled
Press Fit
Threaded
Press Fit and
Threaded
Pin Locators
Round
Bullet
Plain
Conical
Dowel
Relieved
(diamond)
External :
Locators
Nesting Rings
Vee Locators
Fixed-Stop
Locators
Dowel Pins
Normal
Split
Grooved
AdjustableStop Locators
Lock Nut
Locking Screw
Set Screw
Variable
Torque
Clamps
Lever Type
Clamps
First Class
Second Class
Hinge Clamp Third Class
Sliding Clamp
Latch Clamp
Screw Clamp
Swing Clamp
Hook Clamp
Cam-Action
Clamp
Wedge Clamp
Toggle Clamp
Power Clamp
Non-Mechanical
Clamp


Three-two-one method :
Beside the fact that the type and range of the elements used in fixture
design is limited, it can be seen that because of the specific aim of each
element in the whole design process the order of the design is also
somehow predefined. One of the most common methods in designing
fixtures is the so called 3-2-1 method. (Figure 6) suggest the following
order to design a fixture (7):
1. First designing the Toolbody according to the size and shape of the
object.
2. Then supporting the object using three supports in base plane.
3. Next, locating the object by using two locators in one plane and
another one locator in the perpendicular plane.
4. Finally holding the object using a clamping device.
In practice the design is not as simple as the mentioned method and lots
of considerations should be applied to the fixture. Also as seen before,
each category consists of some sub-elements which make the problem
more complex. It will be seen soon that all these facts will lead the
designers to use standard parts as much as possible and so the need for a
part library will come up.
Figure 6. The traditional three-two-one method
Modular Fixture Design for BIW Lines Using Process Simulate®
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1.4 Modular fixtures & Fixtures for Robotic Applications
The idea of using modular designing3
is neither new nor specific for the fixture
design. Wide range of sciences facilitates using the modular approach because of
numerous benefits of that. First of all, it can decrease the cost of change
significantly because of the possibility to applying the changes partially just to the
desired module and not to the whole system. It also reduces the shut down time
of the system during the changing phase and finally it standardizes the design
process by facilitating standard parts. (8) Counts some of the benefits of modular
designing as follows:
 Modularity creates options
 Modular designs evolve as the options are pursued and exercised
 Modularity makes complexity manageable
 Modularity enables parallel work
 Modularity is tolerant of uncertainty
The modular approach in fixture design appeared in almost the same age of
Flexible Manufacturing Systems. In addition, the recent strong intention of using
standard parts in the design process accelerated this approach.
To be more precise, by term of ―Modular Fixture‖ two slightly different ideas has
been presented. First and older idea is using some ready, precisely pre-holed, or
pre-slotted plates and parts that can be fit together according to this holes and
slots. Most of the times, a modular base plate is a plate with grid of holes or Tslots that can be served as the mounting point for supports, locators and clamps.
In this method, there is not much attention to use standard parts for clamps,
supports, and locators. The main idea is more concentrated on easy reconfiguring
the fixture layout by changing the location of these primary elements on the base
plate. However, because of great flexibility and cost effectiveness, this method is
widely used by medium size industries. Figure 7 shows a pre-holed base plate used
by IMAO® (9). Other fixture elements such as locators and clamps will be
installed on this plate using the precisely measured provided holes.

3
In the context of systems engineering, modular design — or "modularity in design" — is an approach
aiming to subdivide a system into smaller parts (modules) that can be independently created and then
used in different systems to drive multiple functionalities. (35)
Modular Fixture Design for BIW Lines Using Process Simulate®
10
Figure 7. Pre-holed Base Plate used by IMAO®
The second and newer approach is to use a set of highly standardized and
compatible modular parts (Lego like) to build up a fixture. In this method, all the
fixture elements from the base plate to clamps are configured and defined before
the design process. Therefore, the design process is somehow limited to choosing
the proper combination of these elements and joining them together in order to
achieve the desired fixture plan. Besides, some new elements such as risers,
adaptors, brackets etc. will be added to the previous categories in order to remove
any customization in the fixture elements. It means that if a clamp with longer
arm or height needed, there will be some standard adaptors or risers to be added
to the clamp parts to extend the jaw or to increase the length of the clamp. As a
result, a part library should be generated to keep track of all the parts, variations,
and families.
This new design method inherits many benefits:
1. Cost reduction due to use of standard elements
2. Limiting the design variety and equalizing the methodology
3. More precise and practical reproduction of the fixture
4. Well managed documentation
5. Mobility and compatibility of design due to use of part libraries
Designing the fixtures for robotics applications is widely increased in previous
decades because of the increasing rate of using the robots in the industry.
Modular Fixture Design for BIW Lines Using Process Simulate®
•Mathematical Design Analysis
Manual Fixture
Design
•Pre-holed Modules
•Standard Part Libraries
Modular
Fixturing
•Cad-based Modeling
•Analytical and Numerical Modeling
•Geometry modeling
•Kinematic modeling
Fixture
Modeling
•Cad-based Methods
•Numerical Methods
Automated
Fixture Design
•Tool-path Simulations
•Manufacturing Procee Simulations
•Robot Collision Detection
Fixture
Functionality.

BIW Fixture Design:

Body in White (B.I.W.) refers to the welded sheet metal components which form the vehicles structure to which the other components will be married, i.e., engine, chassis, exterior and interior trim.

Services:

  • Welding fixture designing for complete Body shell (Side body, under body, Enclosures etc.)
  • Designing of prototype and series production welding fixtures.
  • Designing of Geo and Respot welding stations.
  • Side body framing station.
  • Checking and Setting fixtures.
  • Hemming fixtures.
  • Weld Gun foul analysis.
  • Robotic Grippers.
  • 3D Concept designing, 2D drafting, detailing and Bill of material generating.
  • Simple equipment for pure assembly purposes and equipment for process confirmation.
  • Shuttle system and conveyors.

 Q1. What is BIW & define its parts?

Body in White, or BIW, is a stage in the production of automobiles in which all sheet metal components such as the roof, body side, underbody, backdoor, cross members, and other components are welded together and the resulting body is dipped in a primer solution, which has a greyish colour and thus gives the body its name. The car's shape is determined by the BIW, which is obtained after welding and before painting.

BIW is mainly categorized as:

  1. Body side
  2. Under body
  3. Closures
  4. Roof
  5. Fender
  6. Reinforcements

BODY SIDE consists of:

  1. Body side outer
  2. Body side inner

It generally refers to both the sides of the car that is left and right side. It mounts various BIW components like A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar, Panel side sill etc.

UNDER BODY consists of:

  1. Front end under frame: This is the compartment are where the engine and other components of automobile like battery, radiator etc mounts.
  2. Main floor: This is the compartment where the interior parts like seats; infotainment panel etc will be mounted.
  3. Rear end under frame: This compartment shapes the rear end of the car. This is what provides space of mounting of rear closure parts and boot space.

CLOSURE components consist of:

  1. Front door: Two front doors on each side.
  2. Rear door: Two rear doors on each side.
  3. Hood: To cover the engine compartment.
  4. Trunk lid: To cover the interior and boot space.

ROOF consists of:

  1. Roof inner
  2. Roof outer

FENDER: The component seats between side body and front end under frame.

The below image shows precisely what a BIW of monocoque consists of.

Q2. What do you understand by BIW nomenclature?

A nomenclature in BIW is basically naming every part of the body. These names can be said as subparts of the already categorized parts above. The nomenclature differs a little bit from region to region but the overall idea is to name individual automotive sheet metal components. Below images show the nomenclature of BIW:Â

Â

  • The terms are standard but they differ in some countries.
  • As automotive industries spread worldwide, the terms and standards will be different for similar components.
  • For example, One component of BIW is known as inner wing pannel in the UK description another side the same component of BIW is known as the Motor compartment side panel in the US description.

Q3. What are fixture & its types?

A fixture is a device that uses the 3-2-1 principle to hold the work piece to be processed in the appropriate place.
Because we'll be welding the components together, the fixture will need to be made up of several different sections to hold the automobile together. The fittings must be built in such a way that the work piece is held in the correct position to avoid distortion and achieve the intended geometry.

For the reasons stated above, the fixture must be constructed with the following considerations:

  • It must securely grasp the work piece to prevent distortion during welding.
  • Attention should be paid to the placement of items.
  • Clamping should be light enough to avoid deforming the panel but stiff enough to keep it in place.
  • Clamping elements must not obstruct the welding region.
  • To endure vibrations caused by welding strains, the fixture must be robust and rigid.

General types of fixtures:

Pre-production fixture: It is generally designed as a prototype fixture for the initial batch production to study the feasibility and make any changes and improvements for the production fixtures. Thus this is a base fixture which helps us rectify any short comings which we might face at the pre production level. But as this has a longer cycle time, we don’t usually practice this and jump to production fixture keeping all the standards and parameters in mind to save time and money.

Production fixture: These fixtures are used for mass production purposes. These are where the car body will be assembled and will be made market ready thus it has a critical role. The materials used for this fixture should be tested along with the hardness and aesthetics. The production fixtures will require maintenance very often thus it must be easily accessible.

Checking fixture: It is used for checking or inspecting an assembly coming out of geo fixture. The only difference between geo fixtures and checking fixtures is that it is not used to perform any operation but is mounted with various inner and external gauges for inspecting dimensions and tolerance along with gaps and flushness on the assembly. This is also used to check the welding points if they are at proper location.Â

  1. What is the basic priciple of fixture design ?
  • The fixture is designed based on how the workpiece is fixed on the fixture. All the Degrees of Freedom of the workpiece are to be constraint.
  • The 3-2-1 principle is used.

  • The workpiece has twelve Degree of Freedom. six transitional DOF and 6 rotational DOF.
  • Transistional: X, -X, Y, -Y, Z, -Z.
  • Rotational:Â Clockwise around X axis (CROT-X); Anticlockwise around X axis (ACROT-X); Clockwise around Y axis (CROT-Y); Anticlockwise around Y axis (ACROT-Y); Clockwise around Z axis (CROT-Z);Â Â Anticlockwise around Z axis (ACROT-Z).
  • The rotational DOF have to be constraint.
  • Using 3-2-1 priciple.
  • First the workpiece is constraint by 3 pins on below surface. This lock the Y DOF,Clockwise around X axis (CROT-X); Anticlockwise around X axis (ACROT-X)  the Clockwise around Z axis (CROT-Z);  Anticlockwise around Z axis (ACROT-Z).

  • Then another side perpendicular to the below surface is constraint by 2 pins. This locks -ZÂ and +ZDOF and Clockwise around Y axis (CROT-Y); Anticlockwise around Y axis (ACROT-Y).
  • Then any one side perpendicular to both the below and the other 2 side of the workpiece is constaraint by 1 pin. This locks X DOF.
  • The part is now fully constraint and cannot move

  • The 3 points are used as 3 points to define a plane. Four points cannot be used due to irregularity of the surface in real world.

5.Elaborate types of BIW Stations?Â

The BIW assembly line is where different types of panels are joined together in each specified zone like Underbody zone, Hood zone Etc.

These zones are further subdivided into stations, where various processes like welding gluing and inspection are done to the part of that particular zone before they are being assembled together. For instance, in the roof zone, various reinforcement is to be added before they are married to the side zone.

The BIW assembly line can be classified as follows:

  1. Tools
  2. Grippers
  3. Stands
  4. Miscellaneous

A tool is a fixture which consists of number of different units together to hold a car panel or assembly.Â

Geo Tool:

  • A geo tool is a fixture in which the geometry of the panel which is welded together is defined accurately.
  • In geo fixture two panels will be loaded and welded together.
  • Pin tolerance for geo fixture is about -0.15mm.

Re-spot Tool:

  • A re-spot tool is a fixture where already welded panels are brought to be welded further.
  • For example, on a certain panel we needed to have 50 weld but due to assembly line constrains we managed to achieve 30 on geo tool, then the remaining 20 will be achieved on the re-spot tool.
  • Pin tolerance for the re-spot tool is -0.28mm.

Marriage or hemming tool:

  • Marriage or hemming tool is a fixture in which the inner panel and outer panel is joined together.
  • Hemming is not done for every part but only for those parts where we want to join two panels without other joining process as it may affect the aesthetics of the car.
  • Hemming can be found on Hood, Back door etc.

Checking stations:

It is used to check the automotive part or assembly to ensure all the coordinated, relative dimensions and positions are as per tolerance. It can be classified as follows:

  • Gauge type checking fixture is where the work piece is held and various gauges are introduced to ensure the dimensions and repeatability.
  • Fixed type checking fixture is where the work piece is fixed using clamps and pins and the Coordinate Measuring Machine is used to measure the coordinates of different points of the panel and compare it with the nominal value and give its report to rectify any errors.
  • Automated checking fixture is where the automated setting are being done through sensors, PLCs, switches etc, to give a signal in case of any irregularities which can be rectified. As it is expensive, it is not widely used.

 Grippers Stations

A gripper is a device that enables the holding of an object to be manipulated. The easier way to describe a gripper is to think of the human hand. Just like a hand, a gripper enables the holding, tightening, handling, and releasing of an object. A gripper is just one component of an automated system. A gripper can be attached to a robot or it can be part of a fixed automation system.

Different grippers are used in BIW as follows,

A) Material handling gripper

  • As the name suggests These grippers are used for material
  • These grippers can pick assembly from one station & will drop the assembly at another

Â

B)Process grippers

  • These grippers are used to carry out some specific processes like gluing, welding, riveting in addition to material handling.
  • The gripper will go under gluing stand in case of gluing process & will goes under the pedestal weld stand in case of the welding process.

C)Combo GripperÂ

  • Combo grippers are the ones which can carry out multiple tasks like it can do material handling & also it can carry out some specific process like gluing, welding as well.
  • Weld gun + Gripper

Â

  1. D) Dual Gripper
  • These are two-sided In case when we want one LH & one RH part, these grippers are used. It can handle the material from one station to another station
  • Gripper + Gripper

3) Stands Stations

Stands are used to hold the part when not in use or also it is used to mount some parts or bodies on it.

Â

Different stands are used in BIW

  1. A) Pedestal stands
  • Weld gun is mounted on the fixed stand which is mounted to the floor The gripper can carry the panel under the stand to do the operation.

B) Gluing & sealer stand

  • Gluing gun or sealer gun is fixed to a welded or a standard stand which is grouted to the floor

C) Docking stand

  • The robots have some limitations such as the payload capacity of the robot & also due to lack of
  • When we select the robot for multitasking it can't do both the task simultaneously due to
  • In this kind of case, we add a docking stand to put some equipment that is not in use for the current operation but will be required for next
  • Hence the robot can drop a gripper or gun & pick the next operation equipment to complete the task from the docking

D) Date stamp stand

  • Every manufactured product has some data to stamped or to be embossed on it like serial no, batch no, Date for some future reference, or for data collection.
  • The required data is stamped or embossed by using the stamping device mountedÂ

4) Miscellaneous stand

A) Curing

  • After gluing it needs some time to cool down, so we put the assembly on some belts & it will take the panel to another station & meanwhile gluing will cool down.

B) Buffer stand

  • After some operation, we can put the no. of assemblies in this stand which is buffer stock & it can be transported to another station in easy They are also used to store the inventory while the machine is undergoing some maintenance.

C) Take out trolleys

  • It used to take out some panels for inspection to rectify the process is going in the right or not between the cycle.

D) Conveyor

  • The conveyor is the rotating path that transports the parts to the next station which are kept over it.

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