Automatic probing, compensation, and adjustment of a flexible fixture for a cnc machine

A method for properly locating a flexible fixture to a CNC machine comprising:

• probing a primary locator, a secondary locator and at least three tertiary locators on a flexible fixture mounted to the CNC machine to determine a locator position on a coordinate system for the CNC machine for each of the locators;
• determining if each of the primary locator, the secondary locator and the at least three tertiary locators is within a predetermined offset limit from a nominal position;
• programming a controller with an offset compensation amount based upon the probed position for each of the primary locator, the secondary locator and the at least three tertiary locators when all of the primary locator, the secondary locator and the at least three tertiary locators are within the predetermined offset limit;
• and
• adjusting the position of at least one of the primary locator, the secondary locator and the at least three tertiary locators to adjust a position of the flexible fixture when the probed position for any of the primary locator, the secondary locator and the at least three tertiary locators is not within the predetermined offset limit.

A method for properly generating a CNC machine program comprising:

• inputting a nominal location for a primary locator, a secondary locator and at least three tertiary locators on a flexible fixture mounted to the CNC machine to determine a locator position on a coordinate system for the CNC machine for each of the locators;
• inputting nominal locations for each of a plurality of spacers, where each of the plurality of spacers are associated with one of the primary locator, the secondary locator and the at least three tertiary locators;
• and
• creating the CNC program based upon the nominal locations for the primary locator, the secondary locator, the at least three tertiary locators and the associated spacers.