Custom CMM & Vision Fixture Engineering
Custom Fixture
Feasibility Checklist
Is your inspection application a candidate for a custom-engineered CMM fixture? Answer 12 questions in under 5 minutes — get an instant recommendation.
Score
0 / 12
Check every box that applies to your part or application. Your score updates in real time. See your recommendation at the bottom.
01
Part Geometry & Fixturing Complexity
Physical characteristics that create a custom fixturing requirement
0 / 4
✓
Your part has compound angles, undercuts, or features that prevent standard flat-table CMM setup.
Deep bores, asymmetric geometries, curved datum surfaces — any feature that blocks standard probe access.
· · ·
Real Example · Aerospace · Complex Geometry
Sub-0.001″
Setup repeatability on compound-angle parts. Audit-ready from first run.
✓
You cannot establish a repeatable datum with off-the-shelf workholding.
If your setup varies operator-to-operator or load-to-load, that is a fixturing failure — not a process problem.
· · ·
Real Example · Contract Mfg · Mixed Parts
6 → 1
Part family handled by a single modular fixture. Replaced 6 separate custom fixtures with one PO, one delivery.
✓
Your part has thin walls, fragile geometries, or delicate features deformed by standard clamping.
Ceramics, castings, medical implants, or machined components with surface finish or dimensional requirements.
· · ·
Real Example · Medical Device · ISO 13485
3× improvement
Gage R&R improvement via pneumatic actuation. Eliminated operator variation and consistent clamping force on every setup.
✓
Your CMM probe cannot reach critical inspection features without specialized fixturing.
Required probe angles exceed 90°, or features are obscured on all standard part orientations.
· · ·
Real Example · Aerospace · Inaccessible Features
0.0005″
Probe access to previously unreachable bores and undercuts. Sub-half-thou repeatability on first production run.
02
Production Volume & Throughput
High-volume applications amplify custom fixture ROI exponentially
0 / 3
✓
You inspect 500 or more of the same part number per week.
At 500+ parts/week, even a 50% cycle time reduction represents tens of thousands in annual savings.
· · ·
Real Example · Medical Device · High Volume
288-up
Parts per CMM load cycle. 94% reduction in cycle time per part at 1,200+ parts/day production volume.
✓
Your CMM cycle time per part exceeds 5 minutes including loading, setup, and program run.
Multi-up fixturing can compress 5-minute single-part cycles to under 30 seconds per part at volume.
· · ·
Real Example · High Volume · Throughput
Up to 10×
CMM throughput via multi-up fixture design. A 90% cycle time reduction is the math behind the 10X multiplier.
✓
You are running multiple CMM shifts, or CMM inspection is a production bottleneck.
If the CMM is limiting throughput in your operation, custom fixturing is the highest-ROI single intervention.
· · ·
Real Example · Industrial · Automation
Lights-out
Cobot-integrated Loc-N-Load™ platform enabled unmanned CMM operation — single-shift limitation eliminated.
03
Quality System & Compliance
Regulated environments have fixturing requirements off-the-shelf products can’t satisfy
0 / 3
✓
You operate in an AS9100D, ISO 13485, or IATF 16949 regulated quality environment.
Regulated environments require documented, repeatable fixturing with full traceability — not improvised setups.
· · ·
Real Example · Aerospace · AS9100D
Full trace
Documented fixture designs with revision control. Audit-ready from day one — no retroactive documentation scramble.
✓
Your program requires documented Gage R&R studies on CMM fixturing.
Custom fixturing consistently delivers 2×–5× gage R&R improvement versus ad-hoc workholding solutions.
· · ·
Real Example · Medical Device · Gage R&R
2×–5×
Typical gage R&R improvement over improvised workholding in regulated manufacturing environments.
✓
You need new fixtures to integrate with your existing Loc-N-Load™ or Open-Sight™ platform.
Every Phillips Precision custom fixture is built on the Loc-N-Load system — your CMM programs and changeover stay intact.
· · ·
Modular Platform · Zero Rework
Zero rework
Custom fixtures built on Loc-N-Load™ — your existing CMM programs, plates, and changeover workflows stay 100% intact.
04
Project Readiness
Confirms your project is ready to scope in a discovery conversation
0 / 2
✓
You have 2D drawings and/or a 3D CAD model (.STEP preferred) available for your part.
We can scope a concept from a drawing alone — full CAD is not required to start a discovery conversation.
· · ·
Any Industry · Project Scoping
1–2 wk
Initiation to concept. We can start with a drawing — full 3D CAD is not required to begin the discovery process.
✓
You have budget of $1,000+ available for a concept design engagement.
Concept design starts at $1,000+. Full production fixtures typically start at $3,500+ depending on complexity and size.
· · ·
Investment Range
$1,000+
Concept design deposit. Full fixtures from $3,500+ depending on complexity and size. Concept deposit applies toward production.
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Score Breakdown
Geometry & Complexity
0/4
Volume & Throughput
0/3
Quality & Compliance
0/3
Project Readiness
0/2
✓ AS9100D In Progress · Q2 2026 ✓ ISO 9001:2015 Certified ✓ NDA Before Any IP is Shared ✓ USA Made · Boylston, MA ✓ Discovery Call is Free & Non-Committal