Design Support for Blower Housing Inspection Gage
the design and development of two blower housing inspection gages with repeatable checking features, inspection guidance, and detailed manufacturing drawings.
Milestone PLM was engaged to develop two inspection gages for a blower housing, enabling accurate verification of critical features including mounting-hole positions, front-side maximum length, and overall dimensions. We developed an initial concept and demo model, incorporated customer feedback through design revisions, and finalized the gages with dedicated checking features for simple, accurate, and repeatable inspection.
What Made This Project Complex
Developing inspection gages for a blower housing required precise verification of critical features while ensuring consistent part positioning and operator-friendly inspection. The gages had to accommodate customer revisions, provide repeatable dimensional checks, and be fully detailed for manufacturing.
How Milestone PLM delivered the blower housing inspection gages
The project started with a detailed review of the customer’s inspection requirements for the Blower Housing. Based on the specified inspection parameters, two gage concepts were developed to verify mounting hole positions, hole locations, front-side maximum length, and other critical characteristics. An initial demo model and design concept were submitted for customer review and subsequently refined based on their feedback.To improve inspection accuracy and repeatability, press-fitted ejector pins were incorporated at the required checking locations, while directional arrows were added to clearly indicate checking positions and part orientation. Following design finalization, a checking instruction manual was prepared in PowerPoint to illustrate the inspection sequence, part positioning, and checking procedure. Detailed manufacturing drawings were then prepared for the approved gage design and submitted to the customer for manufacturing.We first reviewed the existing arm assembly and incorporated the required modifications into the 3D model. A manual welding fixture was then designed to locate and hold 10 assemblies in a single setup. The fixture was reviewed with the customer and refined based on their requirements, including the mounting sequence. Based on the same part and welding requirements, we developed a robotic fixture focused on minimum handling and a simple operating mechanism. After finalizing both concepts, detailed fixture drawings were prepared and submitted for manufacturing.
- Two inspection gage designs
- Initial concept and demo models
- Revised inspection gage models
- Press-fitted ejector pin checking features
- Hole-position inspection provisions
- Front-side maximum-length checking arrangement
- Part positioning and orientation indicators
- Directional inspection arrows
- Inspection checking instruction manual
- Detailed manufacturing drawings
- Final CAD models and engineering documentation
How we structured the work
Requirement Analysis
Reviewed the customers requirements for checking blower housing mounting-hole positions hole locations front-side maximum length and weight-related inspection requirements.
Concept & Demo Model
Developed two initial inspection gage concepts and demo models based on the customers inspection requirements and submitted them for review.
Engineering Revisions
Incorporated customer feedback and modified hole positions, dimensions, and inspection features according to the revised requirements.
Inspection Feature Development
Added press-fitted ejector pins at the required locations to provide accurate and repeatable checking of holes and dimensional positions.
Visual Inspection Guidance
Added directional arrows and identification features to clearly indicate the checking positions and correct part orientation.
Inspection Instruction Manual
Prepared a PowerPoint-based inspection instruction manual explaining the correct part positioning and step-by-step checking procedure.
Manufacturing Documentation
Prepared detailed manufacturing drawings for the finalized inspection gages and submitted the approved design data for fabrication.
Project in Pictures
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