Development and evaluation of a low-cost computer controlled Reconfigurable Rapid tool

This paper describes the development of a low-cost rapid tool that is easily re-configurable by a single computer-controlled actuator or conventional CNC machine. The bed-of-pins concept used in popular pin-art toys and by other researchers is enhanced with a novel approach of positioning and clamping the pins in a simple, low-cost and time-saving manner which is scalable to large size products. Different tool path strategies for positioning the pins by using a CNC machine are proposed and evaluated to obtain an optimal strategy. The position of the pins, and the NC code, is automatically derived from the 3D CAD model of the part. The concept has been tested on parts made from carbon fibre and thermoplastic moulding, and sheet metalforming. The scalability of the concept to large size objects is also demonstrated.