Electric Vehicles are becoming increasingly popular and are seen regularly on the road. Integrity Tool has been a part of the EV revolution by developing gages and fixtures to help inspect various parts used in EV production. We have provided gaging and inspection fixtures for many different parts and many different companies including Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Volvo, Honda, and many more.
Not all Electric Vehicle projects revolve around the battery aspect, some of our recent projects have been to support the Chevy Silverado EV shock towers. The initial project was kicked off in our design department and we worked closely with our customer to understand the requirements and needs for the inspection fixture. Due to the part size, they needed a robust gage that had rough locators around the part exterior to help the operator guide the part onto the fixture. Once their operator loaded the part onto MMC locators they could check the strut mounting holes, and exterior profile back to the datums. Numerous hand-held tooling was provided to check additional features and holes on the part from both the interior and exterior surfaces.
Our machine shop utilized its Hurco 5-Axis CNC Machining Center to create the surface profile blocks around the perimeter of the fixture. These blocks were cut out of aluminum and then hard coat anodized to give them the toughness and durability required. Several of the mounting holes needing their locations inspected were not round. To check these holes we utilized our Sodick Wire-EDMs accuracy and precision. We cut non-round holes which allowed check pins to slide freely to inspect the hole locations.
Shortly after the implementation of the first inspection fixture, our customer approached us again looking for additional tooling to inspect the same part further down their manufacturing process. This gage utilized RFS Locators and incorporated variable data to eliminate the need for inspection by a CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine). We developed a fixture that used digital probes and data collection software from Solartron Metrology. To help protect the probes and gaging surfaces we designed perimeter guides to help the operator with the loading and unloading. The 12 pneumatically activated probes sit sub-flush in their mounting blocks offering additional protection. Protective guards were 3D Printed to help route the probe wires and air lines underneath the fixture. To further increase productivity and efficiency a timer was set up so that once the air is actuated by the foot pedal, readings are automatically recorded. In addition, a barcode scanner was integrated into the system to help record and track parts.
Open and good communication during the project were the key to successfully launching these fixtures into production. Don’t wait call Integrity Tool to start building your relationship with us. We would love to work with you and share our knowledge and expertise with you on your next project.
