Trying to automate doing up fixture bolts using my VMC...

[Cole2534]

It really helps to turn a minor diameter pilot on the end of screws and studs one diameter or so long. A great help with quick assembly.

Or a counterbore in the plate.

 

[rdc02271]

Not sure if you volumes justify this but what about re making the fixture so all would clamp at once. Use the mitee bite id clamps gkoenig mentioned screw them into a plate like an ejector plate underneath your fixture die springs holding the clamps closed. A single fine thread machine screw in the middle of the ejector plate to release all the parts. Depending on size or pressure needed maybe 4 ejector plates 4 screws still beats 100.

Newbie alert!!
Do you have pictures or drawing for that setup?
What I am trying to visualize how that would work...
Thank you,
Jorge

 

[Houdini]

yep do a collapsible core system, with an injection plate, with a single large bolt in the center to collapse the ejector plate, then maybe put 4 or so more bolts in for plate rigidity.
and this totally depends on if this is a repeat job.

 

[Cole2534]

yep do a collapsible core system, with an injection plate, with a single large bolt in the center to collapse the ejector plate, then maybe put 4 or so more bolts in for plate rigidity.
and this totally depends on if this is a repeat job.

My head won't wrap around this idea, got a pic?

 

[Pattnmaker]

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Newbie alert!!
Do you have pictures or drawing for that setup?
What I am trying to visualize how that would work...
Thank you,
Jorge

I haven't done any work holding like this but have made ejector plates for coreboxes with this sort of plate.

What I was thinking it a heavy top fixture plate bolted to a bottom plate with standoffs. Between the plates is the "ejector plate" it's bolted to be top plate with shoulder bolts perhaps with bushings in the ejector plate. The ejector plate can slide up and down on the shoulder bolts. Springs Between the top plate and the ejector plate are what keep ejector pins retracted or in other cases springs go the other way to do the ejecting. In this case tensioning the mitee bites.

You would have to do the math to make sure the springs would have enough tension. And also that the bolt has enough pull to overcome the springs.

I'm not sure this would work for this application my work is pretty much all one offs. If I had really high volume parts I would certainly give it a shot.

 

[Houdini]

My head won't wrap around this idea, got a pic?

It is a complex system, if you have a image or drawing of the part, I can make a mockup in Solidworks.

 

[bigjon61]

Can you source/make the rubber bushings before assembling the two?

 

[3Dmech]

Thanks for all of the advice and suggestions everyone..... some really interesting ideas that have got me thinking for future projects. This one however sadly comes to an end I think after another 3,600 bushes to drill (each with 9 holes).... so that's another 18 more pallet loads, and the fastening and unfastening of the M5 bolts takes about 15 mins total each cycle. With that in mind, it's not going to be worth the investment of new / adapted tooling as per some of the suggestions here. But I am still tempted to try a floating tap with toque attachment to do the bolts up. Cheers.