Manual CAD Bottleneck
Every fixture starts with a CAD engineer: tickets, queues, revisions, and delays before a single part is even held.
AI-Driven Fixture Design
Automated Jigs & Fixtures for Modern Manufacturing
RapidTools uses AI to go from part geometry to 3D-print-ready fixture design in hours
Robotics Cells
CNC Machining
Inspection Fixtures
Welding Jigs
High-Mix Production
The Problem
Fixturing Slows Down Every Production Line
Jigs and fixtures are essential for precise, repeatable manufacturing but designing them is slow, expensive.
Long Turnaround Times
From design request to approved fixture can take 1–4 weeks in traditional workflows.
Vendor Dependency
Outsourcing fixture fabrication adds cost, introduces communication overhead, and removes control from the people closest to the process. Changes mid-run require restarting the vendor cycle entirely.
The Solution
From Intent to Print-Ready Fixture on the Same Day
Upload your part geometry, describe what needs to be held, and RapidTools AI generates a manufacturable fixture: no CAD skills needed.
- No CAD required
- Hours, not weeks: from upload to print-ready geometry.
- In-house fabrication
- Standard STL or STEP output works with any FDM, SLA, or SLS printer.
Workflow
Four Steps from Geometry to Fixture
The workflow is designed to fit into existing shop-floor operations without requiring new infrastructure, training programs, or engineering headcount.
Step 01
Upload Geometry
Import a 3D model of the part: CAD file, scan mesh, or STEP export. RapidTools reads part geometry and identifies key surfaces automatically.
Step 02
AI Generates Fixture
The AI identifies datum faces, selects support geometry, and generates a complete fixture body with locating pins and rest pads configured for the process.
Step 03
Review & Refine
Add or adjust clamp positions, modify clearance zones, or flag surfaces to avoid. Changes are applied in real time with no modeling knowledge required.
Step 04
Print & Deploy
Export a print-ready STL or STEP file. Send to your in-house 3D printer. The fixture is on the floor the same day, ready for production.
Business Impact
Numbers That Change the Economics of Tooling
RapidTools doesn’t incrementally improve fixture design: it changes the cost structure and time horizon of the entire tooling operation.
50–70%
Lower Fixture Cost
Eliminate CAD engineering hours, vendor margins, and external fabrication costs. In-house FDM or SLA printing cuts per-fixture cost from hundreds to tens of dollars.
70–90%
Faster Turnaround
What used to take 1–3 weeks from design request to approved fixture now happens in a single shift. New product introductions and line changes no longer stall on tooling.
SameDay
Design to Fabrication
From geometry upload to a fixture on the machine: within hours. No approval cycles, no vendor lead times, no queues. Production teams move at production speed.
Use Cases
Robotics
Machining
Quality
Production
Welding
Assembly
Built for the Environments That Need It Most
Wherever precise part holding matters and current workflows create delays or cost overruns.
Robotics Cells
Nest fixtures matched to robot reach envelopes and gripper geometry for consistent part orientation.
CNC Machining
Workholding with correct datum structure for 3- and 4-axis mills, sized to resist cutting forces.
Inspection Fixtures
Inspection nests that hold parts in a repeatable position and expose critical measurement surfaces without interference.
Low-Volume, High-Mix
Per-part-number fixtures that are economically viable even at volumes of 10–100 pieces.
Welding Jigs
Weld jigs with clearance zones and tack-point locators, built to constrain distortion during torch travel.
Assembly Aids
Ergonomic assembly jigs that keep both hands free and reduce operator fatigue and error.
Expanding Capability
Beyond Fixtures: More Tooling, Same Approach
The same AI extends to adjacent tooling: manufacturing expertise as algorithms, not manual effort.
Soft Jaws for CNC
Part-specific chuck jaw profiles: no shimming, just clamp and run.
Silicone Moulds
Mould tooling for small production runs: no mould-making expertise required.
Sand Casting Patterns
3D printable patterns for prototype and low-volume foundry runs.
“Decades of shop-floor expertise, turned into algorithms anyone on the team can use.”
Fixture design logic: datum selection, tolerance reasoning, and support placement, embedded directly into the engine so knowledge scales with the team.
Ready to Cut Fixture Lead Times from Weeks to Hours?
Talk to the team and see RapidTools running on your part geometry.