Checking fixture for armrest

Here is a video of a checking fixture we made for an armrest, a part we do not always pay attention to once it is mounted in the vehicle, but that present some difficulties to deal with if you want to simulate its mountability, and check it correctly.

As I have done a few days ago in the article about the checking fixture for bumper lateral grille, you will find bellow the transcription of my comments of this video.

Hello again, I’m Gladys Becerra, Tecnomatrix export manager. Today we’ll see together a gauge for an armrest. The main difficulty in this type of part is the number of clips it has.

0:20: To fasten the part, we have simulated its fixation on the door. This gauge checks the plastic part after the injection process, as well as the finished part covered with foam and the car interior lining.

0:35: On the plastic part, we check the mountability, length and shape. This is to ensure that the basic part is correct before dressing it with the final interior lining.

0:45: On the finished part, we check the shape, and simulate the position of the grabhandle. This is to make sure that the part will fit on the door assembly.

0:58: Each RPS point enables to fasten one of the clips. To make the mounting of the part easier, we have adapted the clamps on rotating systems, so that you can turn back the clamps in a simple and quick way.

1:13: To mount the part, fasten first the main RPS. Then, use the square to turn the gauge back and check that all the clips have entered correctly.

1:36: Here is a section showing you how the clips of the part are fastened on the gauge. You can see clearly how the part clips on the RPS.

1:52: The lower side of the base plate is used to store the removable elements of the gauge, such as the checking blocks for the final part, the pin checking the position of the holes of the part, and the dial indicator. As you can see, the blocks are simply screwed on the base plate.

2:10: Let’s go back to the checking of the plastic part. We’ll use removable sections to check the shape of the part. In order to identify quickly where each section should be mounted, we have painted the base plate and the section. Each section can only be mounted in one position, to avoid any risk of mistake.

2:30: There is a constant gap of 5mm between the part and the section, to check the gap with a Go/No Go gauge.

2:40: Finally, we’ll check the length of the plastic part with the dial indicator. The dial indicator bushing is located on one of the removable blocks used to check the shape of the final part, in order to save space.

3:18: Now that we’ve seen how to check the plastic part, we’ll check the final part. If you remember, we’ll check the shape of the outline of the part, and check if the hole of the grabhandle is correctly positioned.

3:53: Thank you for your attention. Feel free to visit our website for more information, that’s www.tecnomatrix.com.