Custom fixturing

Tooling, known as part fixtures, is one of the most critical items to having a successful print. The part holds the part correctly and prevents it from moving.  Additionally, tooling for inkjet printing aligns the part in the appropriate position for printing. Fixtures also play another role of making sure that the parts are printed the same from one part to the next—enables repeatability.  Examples of fixtures include:

• Drop through: These are used with conveyor-belt-equipped flatbed inkjet printers. At the end of print, the fixture raises up and allows the parts to move to the end of the belt for packaging.
• Travelling: This type of fixture is the most common in the flatbed inkjet printing world. This type of fixture travels (moves along) with the parts as the machine prints. Simply, the parts are loaded onto the fixture and they both (part and fixture) move along as the printing gets done.
• Base cone and nose chuck printing tooling: These types of tooling are used with cylindrical inkjet printing machines such as the Volta Gyra. These types of fixtures hold cylindrical and tapers in place when printing with rotary UV inkjet printers. These are like the fixtures used with screen printing machines. Base cone and nose chuck function is to hold the part securely—prevent the part from moving around while spinning during printing.