Automated Fixture Design using an Imprint-based Design Approach and Optimisation in Simulation

Object aligning and holding xtures for robotic assembly 13 tasks are important in industry in order to successfully complete an 14 assembly. However, the designing of a xture is usually done manu15 ally which can be a long and tedious process including many iterations, 16 even for experienced engineers. This paper presents a method to design 17 xtures automatically for use in robotic assemblies and pick-and-place 18 tasks. To achieve this, a new automated method to design the cut-out for 19 a xture is introduced. The method uses a parameterized version of the 20 object's imprint to design the cut-out. The xtures generated using this 21 method are optimized in simulations to determine their nal parameters 22 for a speci c application. Dynamic simulations are used to evaluate each 23 iteration of the cut-out. Lastly, the method is applied to a use-case from 24 the industry to design a xture for use in a robotic assembly task. 25