Fixture Designer

Dear All

We are seeking a highly competent and detail-oriented Fixture Designer with 3 to 4 years of dedicated domain experience in CNC manufacturing work-holding solutions. In this role, you will be responsible for the end-to-end design, development, mechanical validation, and successful execution of high-precision clamping setups and fixtures tailored for modern 3-axis, 4-axis, and 5-axis CNC machining centers.

The primary objective is ensuring structural rigidity, exceptional part repeatability, maximized cutting-tool clearance, and strict collision mitigation across complex multi-axis setups. The selected professional will manage the entire life-cycle of fixture creation from budgeting and initial cross-functional design review meetings to final blueprint release, process sheet assistance, and material tracking.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

·         Fixture Design for Manufacturing: Design custom, high-precision manual, hydraulic, and pneumatic fixtures for 3-axis, 4-axis (HMC tombstones/rotary setups), and 5-axis simultaneous manufacturing processes to support strict production mandates.

·         Design Reviews & Collaboration: Actively attend and conduct comprehensive fixture design review meetings to present structural concepts, collaborate across production teams, gather actionable feedback, and secure formal technical approvals before tooling fabrication.

·         Drawing Release: Produce and release finalized fixture models and detailed 2D engineering drawings utilizing Geometric Dimension and Tolerance (GD&T per ASME Y14.5) and tolerance stack-up analyses to lock down repeatable locating alignments within required micron thresholds .

·         Process Sheet Engineering Support: Actively collaborate with production and process engineering teams by assisting in the creation, review, and refinement of manufacturing process sheets to align tooling capabilities perfectly with operational sequences.

·         Budget & Cost Management: Estimate, monitor, and manage the specific engineering and material budget for each fixture design project, ensuring all hardware, fabrication, and custom components stay strictly within allocated corporate financial limits.

·         Material Procurement Tracking: Monitor and track the supply chain cycle, delivery timelines, and lead times of raw materials, standard tooling accessories (e.g., zero-point grids, swing clamps, locating elements), and commercial components to guarantee on-time availability for live production schedules.

·         Collision Prevention Analysis: Execute robust 3D kinematic checks in native CAD platforms to eliminate interference risks between the fixture components, work-piece blanks, cutting tool assemblies, extension holders, and machine spindle paths during complex multi-axis rotational interpolations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Education: Technical Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Tool & Die Design, or an equivalent technical manufacturing specialization.

CAD Proficiency: Expert competency utilizing advanced 3D modeling systems (such as SolidWorks) along with corresponding 2D manufacturing layout suites.

Kinematics & Machine Envelopes: Comprehensive understanding of Horizontal Machining Center (HMC) pallet receiver alignments, 4th-axis rotary centerlines, and 5-axis tilt-table pivot limits, including raw structural load capacity shifts.

Material & Treatment Selection: Sound decision-making regarding fixture raw materials (e.g., Cast Iron grades, Tool Steels) and their associated mechanical hardening processes (case hardening, nitriding, stress-relieving).

Direct engineering exposure coordinating models with CNC programming teams running CAM / dry-run simulation packages (such as Mastercam, NX CAM, or Vericut).

Familiarity with pneumatic or hydraulic manifold pressure valve layout designs.