Patent ID: 9690274
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: B33Y,G05B

Claim:
1. A method for automated fixture manufacture, comprising: a) retrieving a plurality of virtual stock fixture pairs, each virtual stock fixture pair comprising a first virtual stock fixture opposing a second virtual stock fixture, wherein the plurality of virtual stock fixture pairs encompass every combination of standard stock fixture depth options for the first and second stock fixtures; b) receiving a virtual part from a user account; c) identifying a plurality of potential retention sides on the virtual part, each potential retention side comprising a set of features extending from the potential retention side; d) for each potential retention side of the plurality of potential retention sides, generating a plurality of potential retention rotations in a plane parallel the potential retention side; e) generating a plurality of potential virtual fixtures, comprising: for each combination of a potential retention rotation of the plurality and a virtual stock fixture pair of the plurality, generating a potential virtual fixture based on: the set of features extending from the respective potential retention side, the respective potential retention rotation, and the respective virtual stock fixture pair; f) for each potential virtual fixture of the plurality of potential virtual fixtures: g) selecting a virtual fixture from the plurality of potential virtual fixtures, the virtual fixture comprising a potential virtual fixture having an optimal workholding confidence score; h) controlling manufacture of a physical fixture corresponding to the virtual fixture; and i) controlling manufacture of a physical part using the physical fixture, the physical part corresponding to the virtual part.