The GATE Grind

GATE 2026 ME – Question 32

Machining and Machine Tool Operations · Work holding, jigs and fixtures · 1 mark · Multiple choice

A work piece is to be firmly held in a fixture. It is to be machined by using a plain slab milling cutter as shown in the figure below.

Which one of the following options is the most suitable value of height H of the fixture in mm?

A work piece 100 mm wide and 205 mm high sits between two fixture blocks of height H. A plain slab milling cutter above the work piece cuts its top surface. The feed is along the work piece.
  1. 200
  2. 210
  3. 150
  4. 70

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Correct answer: (A) 200

Explanation

The fixture should hold as much of the work piece as possible, so it needs to be tall. It must not be taller than the finished top of the work piece, or the cutter would hit it. The work piece is 205 mm high, so a fixture of 200 mm holds it firmly and still leaves clearance for the cutter. A fixture of 210 mm would be higher than the work piece, and 150 mm and 70 mm hold it less firmly.