A system for machining semi-rigid curved panels includes a fixturing device within an enclosure cell, the cell having a sealable entrance and a sealable exit. A holding table, moveable through the sealable entrance between the inside and outside of the cell, is configured to receive unfinished semi-rigid curved panels. Another holding table, fixed outside of the cell, is configured to receive processed semi-rigid curved panels. A first robot inside the cell transports the semi-rigid curved panels from the first holding table and onto the fixturing device, later transporting the curved panels from the fixturing device onto the second holding table through the sealable exit. A second robot processes the semi-rigid curved panels on the fixturing device. A controller is configured to sequentially actuate first and second robots for transporting and processing the semi-rigid curved panels, and to manage a vacuum clamping system for workpiece retention on the fixturing device.

An unloading method for unloading a machining product of a workpiece machining operation from a product support is provided. The method includes moving the machining product with a transfer movement along a transfer axis into an unloading region including a spatial unloading region limit located along the transfer axis and an unloading region length along the transfer axis which is larger than an actual product length of the machining product along the transfer axis; and continuing the unloading operation after the machining product has been provided for unloading. A reference length extends along the transfer axis and is at least the actual product length. After completion of the transfer movement, a distance along the transfer axis is compared with the limit distance from the reference point, and the unloading operation is continued only under a condition that the distance is less than the limit distance.