Fixtures are fundamental and crucial elements of any manufacturing process. They are used to hold one or several workpieces in a fixed location securely during various process steps like assembly, bonding, post processing, transport or final quality measurement.
3D printing provides a fast and cost-effective production process especially in the context of low-volumes that are typically given for fixtures and other production aids. Establishing Additive Manufacturing for fixtures results in reduced operational costs, reduced lead times and improved efficiencies of the work floor. Since 3D printing does not require any tooling upfront, tailor-made fixtures can be produced efficiently that serve the respective process step perfectly. The underlying CAD file can be redesigned and reprinted anytime allowing the user to adapt fixtures even last minute or according to any future process iteration.