EasyRef Modular CMM Fixtures for Large Measuring Applications

Assembling fixtures using the EasyFix and EasyRef Modular Fixture System is incredibly quick and easy.

However, it is often necessary to design a fixture from initial CAD or drawing data, and it is even more important that a CMM fixture can be fully documented once it has been created, such that it can easily be re-built in the future. This is particularly true of CNC machines, where a part program will require fixture components to be in the same location every time.

Using Rainbow software, this task couldn't be easier, as it provides the user with a computer aided guide for the design, manufacture and documentation of fixtures. Rainbow is suitable for use on PC's running Windows 2000 and XP.

The steps required to create a fixture are straightforward ;

	enter the locations of the component contact points - this information is easily extracted from drawing or CAD data
	use Rainbow to graphically manipulate the points to fit onto a chosen EasyRef frame or EasyFix base plates
	graphically assemble, step by step, EasyFix and EasyRef components until they "support" the required contact points
	print out a complete EasyFix component list, assembly guide plus graphical views
	export the completed fixture in IGES CAD format for off-line CMM programming of the component
	assemble the fixture according to the Rainbow instructions
	check and calibrate the fixture using the CMM

Using Rainbow, you will dramatically speed up the manufacturing cycle. A CMM fixture can be designed, documented and assembled in an extremely short time period, such that fixture design and part programming can proceed even without the need for a physical part.

Fixture components are entered using a 3D graphical system, using the laser etched grid of the base plates or the position indicator scales on EasyRef frames as guidance - the process is so simple, it requires little or no training. CMM users can rapidly build up a fixture database that is readily recalled from the PC.

Fixture adjustments can also be quickly stored, so the user always has the latest fixture revision available. Software documentation completes the picture, providing fixture traceability in order to satisfy ISO9000 requirements.