In fixture systems for machining castings, a center-direction system is used for positioning the workpieces, where pins in the housing correctly orient the workpiece within the fixture. Since these pins and housings are subjected to constant motion under constant load, wear occurs, leading to play, which consequently causes errors during the machining of the workpiece. Therefore, we developed a model in Ansys to simulate wear in the pins and evaluated whether changing materials could improve the lifespan of the pins. We also developed a testing device to conduct tests and we verified the results obtained from the simulation. We found that by changing the materials of the pin and housing, we could increase the lifespan of the positioning assembly and thereby reduce costs associated with downtime and scrap.
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