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Modular Fixturing

Project Background:

  • Micro-Leads Medical is a Somerville, MA based start up developing HD64, a revolutionary spinal cord stimulator implant.

Project Summary:

  • Design a robust production fixture for HD64 that could adapt to rapid design changes while maintaining a 50 micron tolerance.

Design Steps:

  • Performed background research on methods used to automate component position in fixturing.

  • Worked with multiple teams to determine the layout of various component versions that the fixture would have to be compatible with.

  • Brainstormed and modeled numerous prototypes in Solidworks for informal design reviews.

Challenges:

  • Each part version had different sized components that needed to be connected but the goal was to have one fixture for all design versions.

  • The 50 micron tolerance was extremely hard to achieve consistently.

Results:

  • Successfully developed a modular fixture system that built flexibility for each design into one small component.

  • Fixture found additional use as a component of an updated measurement process I developed to determine production accuracy that was 12x faster than prior method.

Fixturing Modular III.png

Modular Fixture in Production Orientation

Fixturing Modular V.png

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Modular Fixture Components

Fixture Components (from top down)

  1. Magnetic compression plate

  2. Component carrier

  3. Component alignment plate with spring plungers to automate alignment

  4. Component base plate with vertical alignment posts

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