Fixture

Where it comes up

• Production machining, turning, and sawingCNC milling, turning, and production sawing from bar, plate, castings, and forgings, from prototype to production.
• Sheet metal fabricationLaser-cut, punched, bent, and welded sheet metal enclosures, brackets, and chassis with no hard tooling.

Related terms

Datum

A datum is a theoretically exact point, axis, or plane, established by a real feature on a part, from which other features are located and measured. Drawings list datums in order of precedence (primary, secondary, tertiary), which tells inspection how to fixture the part.

Setup

Setup is the work needed to prepare a machine to run a specific part: loading tooling, fixtures, and programs, then running and inspecting first pieces. Setup cost is fixed per run, so it is spread over the lot size and is a main driver of MOQ.

CNC

CNC is computer numerical control, the use of programmed instructions to drive machine tool motion. CNC mills and lathes cut parts from solid stock to typical tolerances of ±0.005 in (±0.13 mm), and ±0.0005 in (±0.013 mm) on critical features. It suits prototypes and low-to-medium production.