An experimental evaluation of coefficients of static friction of common workpiece–fixture element pairs

Experimental determination of the friction coefficient on the workpiece-fixture contact surface in workholding applications

“…This relation is very important in fixturing application, especially for flexible parts when optimum (minimal) clamping forces are required to maintain the machined part geometric integrity. The same trend of decreasing m with increasing P was reported before by [11,12], however, it was not explained. Two different perspectives could be used to explain this phenomenon:…”

“…In an initial effort [11] experiments were carried out to characterize friction for commercially available fixture elements in dry contact with A356 Aluminum. This study revealed that the coefficient of friction was very sensitive to fixture element geometry and workpiece surface topography, but relatively insensitive to clamping force and fixture element size.…”

“…Xie et al [12] presented a method for the experimental evaluation of the coefficient of friction for a workpiece/ fixture system. The method is based on previous work done by [11,13].…”

“…The method is based on previous work done by [11,13]. They investigated the effect of workpiece surface topography, fixture element type, fixture element size, clamping force, presence of cutting fluid at the joint and normal joint rigidity on the coefficient of friction.…”

“…In addition, environmental factors such as temperature and/or vibration are also known to affect friction. The authors [12] gave some practical insight in the fixture tips used for automotive industry. However, they did not explain the fact that coefficient of friction decreases with increased clamping load.…”