Holding Gage Assembly with Multi-Datum Support for Vehicle Panel Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing holding gage assemblies are limited in their ability to accommodate vehicle panels of different sizes and shapes, requiring separate fixtures for each body style, which is inefficient and impractical.
Innovation Solution
A holding gage assembly with a gage body comprising vertically-extending support rails and horizontally-extending cross-rails, featuring multiple sets of datum members for supporting vehicle panels of varying lengths, allowing for adaptable measurement without reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate fixtures are used for each body style, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but device complexity and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The holding gage assembly is designed with multiple sets of datum members (first set and second set) that can accommodate different body styles through software configuration rather than physical fixture changes. The system universally supports various vehicle panels by adjusting digital parameters, eliminating the need for separate physical fixtures for each body style while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static, body-style-specific fixtures to a dynamic, reconfigurable fixture. The holding gage assembly can be digitally reconfigured between different body styles by modifying software parameters, allowing the same physical hardware to adapt to different measurement requirements without physical reconfiguration.
2Measurement precision
If separate fixtures are used for each body style, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A single holding gage assembly serves multiple body styles through software control, eliminating the need to physically swap fixtures between different vehicle panels. This universal approach maintains measurement accuracy while significantly improving productivity by reducing setup time and operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures multiple sets of datum members with different parameter values to accommodate various body styles. When a measurement task is initiated, the appropriate configuration is already prepared and can be instantly activated, eliminating the need for physical reconfiguration and improving operational efficiency.
3Productivity
If a single fixture is used for different body styles, then productivity improves, but measurement precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The holding gage assembly provides different local configurations of datum members for different body styles. Each set of datum members is optimized for specific measurement requirements, and the system selects the appropriate local configuration based on the vehicle panel being measured, thereby maintaining measurement precision while using a single universal fixture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains measurement precision by changing digital parameters (datum member positions, spacing, and configurations) rather than physical fixture components. The holding gage assembly can instantly switch between different parameter sets corresponding to different body styles, ensuring accurate measurements while improving productivity through rapid reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of supporting vehicle panel assemblies of different lengths for a measuring operation using a coordinate measurement machine is provided. The method includes supporting a first vehicle panel assembly having a first length on a holding gage assembly comprising horizontally aligned datum locations of a first set of datum members that support the first vehicle panel assembly thereon. A second vehicle panel assembly having a second length that is greater than the first length is supported on the datum locations of the first set of datum members. The second vehicle panel assembly extends longitudinally beyond the datum locations of the first set of datum members to at least one datum location of a second set of datum members.