Jigs and fixtures in production: A systematic literature review

Jigs and fixtures are key production equipment in manufacturing by fulfilling the tasks of positioning, supporting, and fixing the components to be joined. They are also a significant cost factor and can account for up to 29% of total investment, e.g., in automotive body shops. With respect to the importance of jigs and fixtures in manufacturing and the intensifying requirements for more flexibility and cost savings, this paper will be dedicated to jigs and fixtures as one of the obstacles to these challenges. This paper aims to present current state-ofthe-art jig and fixture concepts, their categorization, and an overview of their development over the last decade. For this purpose, a systematic literature review (SLR) on all fixture concepts currently in use, as well as all new developments and research, will be carried out. A complete overview of all current review papers and new solutions approaches will be given as a basis for this review paper. The main focus will be on new fixture concepts since 2013, which will be defined, classified, and qualitatively, quantitatively, and historically evaluated. New fixture technology drivers, such as from the automotive industry, economic constraints, or introducing of new production-relevant technologies, will be crucial.