Patent ID: 6898837

Claim:
A method of supporting workpieces, lower surfaces of ones of which have features of different heights, the method comprising the steps of: providing a tooling fixture, comprising a body including a plurality of cylinder bores, at least one support fluid manifold fluidly connected to the cylinder bores, and a surface over which a workpiece is in use supported, a plurality of supporting elements for supporting the workpiece, the supporting elements being slideably disposed in respective ones of the cylinder bores, and at least one support fluid reservoir containing support fluid and operably fluidly connected to the at least one support fluid manifold; displacing support fluid between the at least one support fluid reservoir and the at least one support fluid manifold such that the supporting elements adopt a supporting position in conforming contact with a lower surface of the workpiece, with at least ones of the supporting elements being moved such that at least ones of the supporting elements, from a position not in conforming contact with the lower surface of the workpiece, assume the supporting position in conforming contact with the lower surface of the workpiece in which ones of the supporting elements assume different heights from others of the supporting elements in conformance with features on the lower surface of the workpiece; and locking the supporting elements when in the supporting position.