Fixture planning is a complex activity restricted by the extreme diversity of workpieces and constraints of design geometry, part accessibility, working force, and component deformation. This paper reviews major approaches to computer-aided fixture planning (CAFP). Geometry methods, kinematical analysis, force analysis, deformation analysis, case-base reasoning, fixture assembly planning, feature-based methods, rule-based methods and optimization methods are surveyed. The CAFP systems are summarized as CAD-based systems and Web-based systems. Some promising research areas are identified in respect of fixture design, assembly planning and virtual fixture planning
