Jigs, Fixtures, and Production Aids

Practical Tooling for Assembly, Inspection, Handling, and Manufacturing Support

Good tooling makes production easier, safer, faster, and more repeatable. A simple fixture, drill guide, locator, tray, guard, or assembly aid can reduce errors, improve consistency, and save time every time a task is performed.

Jaeger Technology Group designs and manufactures jigs, fixtures, and production aids for manufacturers, maintenance teams, engineering departments, and product developers that need practical solutions without the cost or delay of traditional tooling.

Our work is focused on functional, shop-floor-ready tools — not just prototypes.

What We Build

JaegerTech supports a wide range of custom tooling and production support needs, including:

  • Assembly fixtures
  • Drill guides and hole-location templates
  • Inspection gauges and check fixtures
  • Holding fixtures and work supports
  • Alignment tools and spacing guides
  • Kitting trays and part organization trays
  • Masking fixtures for painting, coating, or finishing
  • Forming, trimming, and routing guides
  • Machine guards and protective covers
  • Custom brackets, adapters, and mounting aids
  • Ergonomic operator-assist tools
  • Maintenance and repair aids
  • Short-run tooling for low-volume production

Some tools are used once to solve an urgent problem. Others become part of a repeatable production process. In both cases, the goal is the same: make the job easier and more reliable.

Built Around the Way the Work Is Actually Done

A jig or fixture should fit the workflow, not just the CAD model. We consider how the operator will load the part, how the tool will be handled, how often it will be used, what forces it will see, and what kind of environment it will live in.

That means we look at practical details such as:

  • Part orientation
  • Access for hands, tools, fasteners, and inspection equipment
  • Wear surfaces and replaceable features
  • Clamping and locating strategy
  • Visibility and labeling
  • Heat, oil, coolant, dust, and chemical exposure
  • Ergonomics and repetitive use
  • Dimensional stability
  • Cost of replacement or revision

The best fixture is often simple, durable, and easy to use. We design with that in mind.

Additive Manufacturing for Faster Tooling

3D printing is especially effective for jigs, fixtures, and production aids because it allows useful tooling to be produced quickly without committing to expensive machining or mold tooling.

Additive manufacturing can be used to create:

  • Complex shapes that are difficult or expensive to machine
  • Lightweight fixtures that are easier for operators to handle
  • Soft-contact or non-marring surfaces
  • Internal features, pockets, channels, and reliefs
  • Custom-fit forms for irregular parts
  • Rapid design revisions after shop-floor feedback
  • Low-volume tooling without high upfront cost

For many manufacturing support tools, printed engineering plastics are more than strong enough. In the right application, they can replace machined aluminum, UHMW, Delrin, plywood, or hand-made shop aids.

Materials Matched to the Application

Material selection is critical. A fixture used for light assembly has different requirements than a tool exposed to heat, coolant, abrasion, clamping pressure, or outdoor use.

Depending on the project, we may recommend materials such as:

  • PETG for general-purpose tooling and durable shop aids
  • ABS or ASA for improved toughness and temperature resistance
  • Nylon for functional parts with better fatigue and wear resistance
  • Carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon for stronger, stiffer tooling
  • Polycarbonate or engineering blends for more demanding applications
  • TPU for protective pads, bumpers, soft jaws, and flexible features
  • Resin-printed components for small, detailed, high-resolution features

We can also design printed parts to accept threaded inserts, dowel pins, bushings, magnets, fasteners, metal wear plates, rubber pads, or replaceable components where needed.

Inspection and Check Fixtures

A well-designed check fixture can help identify problems before they move downstream. These tools do not always need to be highly complex to be useful. Sometimes a simple go/no-go gauge, locator, or profile check can prevent rework and reduce inspection time.

JaegerTech can produce inspection aids for:

  • Fit checks
  • Hole location checks
  • Profile and contour checks
  • Assembly verification
  • Part presence or orientation checks
  • Spacing and alignment checks
  • Repeatable measurement setups

For critical tolerance work, we help determine whether printed tooling is appropriate or whether printed components should be combined with machined inserts, pins, bushings, or calibrated inspection hardware.

Assembly Fixtures and Operator Aids

Assembly work often benefits from fixtures that hold parts in the correct position, reduce hand strain, or prevent incorrect orientation.

We build assembly aids that can help with:

  • Holding parts during fastening
  • Aligning components during bonding or assembly
  • Reducing operator fatigue
  • Improving repeatability between operators
  • Preventing incorrect part placement
  • Organizing parts for a specific build sequence
  • Supporting delicate or irregular components

A good production aid can improve both speed and quality without requiring major process changes.

Kitting, Handling, and Organization

Production problems are not always caused by part geometry. Sometimes the issue is organization, handling, or repeatability.

Custom kitting trays, shadow boards, transport trays, dividers, and work-cell organizers can help reduce missing parts, handling damage, setup time, and operator confusion.

These tools are especially useful for:

  • Assembly cells
  • Maintenance departments
  • Small-batch production
  • Training environments
  • Quality control stations
  • Field service kits
  • Lab and research workflows

When parts have a defined place, the process becomes easier to control.

Reverse Engineering and CAD Support

Many jig and fixture projects begin with a simple problem rather than a complete drawing package. Customers may bring us a part, a sketch, a photo, a broken tool, or a process issue.

We can help by:

  • Measuring existing parts
  • Creating CAD models
  • Designing around customer-supplied geometry
  • Modifying existing files
  • Improving strength, clearance, or usability
  • Creating printable production-ready designs
  • Iterating based on real-world testing

The design process does not need to be overcomplicated. We focus on getting to a usable tool efficiently.

When Printed Tooling Makes Sense

Printed jigs, fixtures, and production aids are often a strong fit when:

  • Lead time matters
  • Production volume is low to moderate
  • The design may need revision
  • The part geometry is complex
  • Weight reduction is useful
  • Traditional machining is too expensive
  • A temporary or bridge tool is needed
  • The tool does not require metal-level heat or wear resistance

Printed tooling is not the right answer for every application. When machining, metal fabrication, casting, or another method is a better fit, we will say so.

Supporting Manufacturers Across the Southeast

Jaeger Technology Group is based in Decatur, Alabama and supports manufacturers, machine shops, foundries, engineering teams, universities, and industrial companies across North Alabama, the Southeast, and beyond.

We understand that tooling problems are often practical, urgent, and specific. Our job is to help you solve them with the right mix of design, materials, additive manufacturing, and manufacturing judgment.

Start With the Problem

You do not need a finished CAD file to begin. Send us a drawing, part file, photo, broken fixture, sample part, or description of the process issue. We can help determine whether a jig, fixture, production aid, or other tooling approach makes sense.

Jaeger Technology Group builds practical jigs, fixtures, and production aids that help manufacturers improve repeatability, reduce downtime, and keep work moving.