Flexible Fixturing with Phase-Change Materials. Part 1. Experimental Study on Magnetorheological Fluids

Flexible fixturing is an important issue in manufacturing, where a single set of fixtures are used for locating and holding a variety of workpieces. Flexible fixturing with phase-change materials involves the use of functional materials which change the status from liquid to solid under certain conditions. The workpiece is located in the liquid fixture material and held firmly when the material is changed into the solid state. Therefore, the material strength in the solid state is crucial for a successful application to production. This paper presents an experimental study of magnetorheological (MR) fluid material. With the application of a compression technique, a thick column structure is formed and enhanced. Hence, a high shear strength of the MR fluid in solid status is achieved. Experimental results are reported in this paper. Further application of this technique is under development for flexible fixturing in industrial applications.