US 11,794,284 B2
Methods of manufacturing a workpiece fixture for supporting a workpiece in a precision manufacturing process; method of generating a support blade machining pattern; and target material fixture
James Stewart Hall, Kilmarnock (GB); James Graham Hall, Kilmarnock (GB); Jake Gillespie, Kilmarnock (GB); Scott McVey, Kilmarnock (GB); and Michael Gallagher, Kilmarnock (GB)
Assigned to TANNLIN TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, Kilmarnock (GB)
Appl. No. 17/263,211
Filed by TANNLIN TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, Kilmarnock (GB)
PCT Filed Jul. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/GB2019/051895
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 26, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/025923, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1812704.3 (GB), filed on Aug. 3, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0283720 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. B23K 26/38 (2014.01); B23K 26/082 (2014.01); B23K 26/08 (2014.01); B23K 37/04 (2006.01); B23K 101/18 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 26/38 (2013.01) [B23K 26/082 (2015.10); B23K 26/0876 (2013.01); B23K 37/0408 (2013.01); B23K 2101/18 (2018.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing a workpiece fixture, for supporting a workpiece in a precision manufacturing process; the method comprising:
providing a generic material fixture and a sheet material supported on the generic material fixture;
precision processing the sheet material to form support blades for a target workpiece fixture, each support blade having a support locus, the support locus of at least one said support blade having at least one interstice, wherein each interstice is a gap or break in a continuous support locus, wherein a majority of a length of each support locus is defined by an edge of the support blade, and a minority of the length by each interstice; and
constructing a target workpiece fixture comprising the support blades, wherein the support loci together define a workpiece support and wherein the at least one interstice is positioned based on where a target pattern and the support loci coincide.