Press Test Fixture | Yash Morbia

Working concept: bench

Bench shop press with custom fixture: base plate, gusseted upright, and raised platform under the ram

Final production setup

Final production press fixture on the floor

Step 1 bench concept (left) vs. the final production fixture (right). Same assembly task, three generations apart.

Key outcomes

3×

Throughput vs. early concept tooling

Operator-induced alignment errors (final architecture)

95%

First-pass yield through production ramp

500 → 1.5k

Weekly output supported on the line

Skills applied

SolidWorksOpto-Mechanical IntegrationGD&T & Tolerance Stack-upOptical Alignment & RepeatabilityConstraint-Driven Design

Disclosure: Specific production metrics and throughput figures are approximate. Images shown are fixture and CAD only. No product assembly or proprietary process content is visible. Product identifiers have been withheld. All outcomes stated are directionally accurate.

Step 1

Working concept

Establish measurement architecture and validate mechanical assembly feasibility prior to formal CAD development.

CAD vs. real

CAD

SolidWorks CAD: working concept press fixture with vertical guide, sliding carriage, and lower nest

Real (bench)

Same working concept built on the bench press under the ram

Same generation: model in SolidWorks vs. hardware on the Eastwood bench press.

Approach

Bench-level hydraulic press configuration
Rapid, makeshift alignment tooling
Manual datum referencing to identify critical geometric constraints
Early-stage alignment repeatability assessment

Engineering focus

Defined primary alignment datums
Identified critical tolerance drivers
De-risked assembly strategy before production tooling investment

Design decision

Measurement architecture and datum strategy were formalized prior to CAD development to prevent tolerance cascade in later iterations.

Step 2

First design: pneumatic control

Transition to controlled small-batch production while validating repeatability, alignment stability, and yield performance.

SolidWorks CAD: pneumatic press fixture with cylinder, spring-loaded nest, and valve manifold on base plate

CAD of the pneumatic pilot assembly. No bench photo for this generation; validation was tracked through repeatability and yield data.

Approach

Parametric SolidWorks assembly with defined GD&T structure
Integrated optical alignment verification
Stack-up analysis on critical axes
Structured repeatability validation testing

Engineering focus

Alignment stability under repeated press cycles
Operator repeatability
Yield correlation with mechanical constraint strategy

Design decision

Architecture was refined to minimize alignment sensitivity and isolate high-variance contributors prior to scaling.

Step 3

Optimized for production

Redesign fixture architecture for throughput, error-proofing, fewer moving parts, and operator robustness following pilot validation.

CAD vs. production

CAD

SolidWorks CAD: production-optimized pneumatic fixture with streamlined tooling and reduced moving parts

Production (floor)

Final generation: released CAD vs. line-ready hardware on the floor.

Approach

Dedicated datum constraint architecture
Fool-proof mechanical keying to eliminate operator-induced misalignment
Ergonomic redesign for repeat cycle efficiency
Reduced adjustment degrees of freedom and moving parts

Engineering impact

3× throughput increase
0 operator-induced alignment errors
Yield stability at scale
Reduced training dependency

Design decision

Final architecture prioritized constraint-driven design and poka-yoke principles over adjustability to ensure scalable, repeatable performance.