U.S.-Singapore Cooperative Research on Automatic Fixturing

9215993 KING本奖项旨在资助新加坡南洋理工大学工业与制造系统工程系Lucy Siu-bik King博士及劳伦斯理工大学机械工程系Kingman E.Yee博士与新加坡南洋理工学院计算机集成制造研究所Beng Siong Lim博士进行为期24个月的自动夹具研究项目。他们的研究将针对两个主要目标，即(1)针对给定的零件几何形状建立夹具元件位置的优化模型，以及(2)使用MOFDEX专家支持系统、块夹具系统和模块化夹具系统将夹具元件与夹具部件进行比较。在PI以前的研究中，已经开发了一个优化模型来生成棱柱体对象的夹具构形设计。这项研究将扩展到非棱柱体零件，如球体、圆柱体、四面体和平行管道，并考虑到装配操作和夹具元件类型。林博士为第二个目标的实践部分开发了专家系统。手工夹具方法在制造环境中仍然很普遍，可能会导致汽车工厂延误三到六周。并行工程和柔性制造要求夹具设计周期更短。自动夹具配置为这种需求提供了部分解决方案。通过这种协作产生的专家支持系统将对使用CAD(计算机辅助设计)系统的行业中的计算机辅助夹具特别有用。合作者拥有互补的专业知识，这将在本研究中互惠互利。该项目与国际计划司的目标相关，该司寻求通过交流科学信息、想法、技能和技术以及通过在互利问题上的合作来提高美国科学家和工程师与发展中国家同行之间的合作水平。这个项目为金博士的研究增加了一个国际合作的维度，该研究由美国国家科学基金会资助。DDM-9196231和DDM-9215362。***

9215993 King This award provides funds to permit Dr. Lucy Siu-Bik King, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, GMI Engineering and Management Institute, and Dr. Kingman E. Yee, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lawrence Technological University, to pursue with Dr. Beng Siong Lim, GINTIC Institute of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Nanyang Technological Institute, Singapore, for a period of 24 months, a program of research on automatic fixturing. Their research will be directed toward two major goals, namely, (1) the theoretical formulation of an optimization model for finding the positions of fixturing elements for a given workpart geometry and (2) comparing the fixturing element with fixture components using the MOFDEX expert support system, the Block Jig System, and Modular Fixturing System. In the PI's previous research, an optimization model has been developed to generate a fixturing configuration design for prismatic objects. This research will be extended to non- prismatic workparts such as the sphere, cylinder, tetrahedron and parallelpiped taking into account assembly operations and fixturing element types. Dr. Lim has developed expert systems for the practical portion of the second goal. Manual methods of fixturing, still prevalent in the manufacturing environment, may result in delays of three to six weeks in an automotive plant. Concurrent engineering and flexible manufacturing requires faster turn around time for fixturing design. Automatic fixturing configuration offers a partial solution to such a demand. The expert support system generated from this collaboration will be especially useful for computer- aided fixturing in industries that use CAD (Computer Assisted Design) systems. The collaborators have complementary expertise which will be mutually beneficial in this research. This project is relevant to the objectives of the Division of International Programs which seeks to increase the level of coopera tion between U.S. scientists and engineers and their counterparts in developing countries through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit. This project adds an international cooperative dimension to the Dr. King's research under NSF Grants No. DDM-9196231 and DDM-9215362. ***