Experienced Machinists and Machine Tool Designers Provide great tips and advice in this edition of Weld Fixture Design 101. Plus there are 3 MORE things to know about drilling and tapping for beginning CAD Drafters and Mechanical Designers. And at the End is information on getting your purchased part parameters into your step file using Pro/E (Pro/Engineer) and info on the new Woverine Clamp Riser.

When designing machine tooling fixtures, designers often use locating pins that fit in a hole in the product part for locating the product in the fixture. Allowing for tolerance variation from the ideal drawing of the product is what is addressed in this lesson from Rentapen's Queen of Lean Machine Design. Sign up to be notified when the next fixture design lesson is posted.

Watch this video to see how to use a simple purchased plate to locate, guide, or stop the production peice in a weld fixture or assembly fixture. It's easy with RAPid Tooling Components and RAPid Shim Packs. Free up time in your tooling department by designing in more purchased components....

Machine Tool Designers can save more time and money when they have their RAPid Tooling Components altered right in the same CNC machine that produces the block in the first place. These weld tooling components are made to order, so order your alterations right with them!

A readers asks, "I am a fixture designer.... I am new at this job .... when designing a weld fixture in the CAD program should I allow any room between the holding pieces and the [product] parts?" Rentapen's Queen of Lean Machine Design explains how Rentapen designs for the real world while designing machine tooling inside the perfect world of CAD where 2.0000" means 2.0000".

Here are some images of weld fixtures we have designed recently. Also, at the end, is a new kind of bike to ride the Rails before they become trails. Enjoy.             Three parts are welded together in this small weld jig.   Top view, same fixture.             The CNC leaves an interesting pattern on this weldment.  It looks wavy, but is very...

What, Where, and How of Shims and Shim Packs I am excited about our new Free 3D CAD Models ordering service on Rentapen’s web site.  I know I promised to talk more about the simple weld fixture (weld jig), this week,  however I am delaying that because this is (I think) so COOL!! Our line of tooling components are now even easier to use.   I invite you to play with this new 3d model downloading service.  These files are Free! ...