The invention relates to tooling for holding parts in position to enable them to be friction welded together in order to construct a hollow structure, the tooling comprises: a framework made up of two frames for receiving the parts for welding together in their positions for forming the hollow structure, said parts comprising preformed parts and an intermediate section; shape-holder members for holding the hollow structure, associating backing thrust members and lateral grip members for gripping the outsides of the preformed parts; anvils suitable for being placed inside the set of preformed parts beside the section; and clamping means operable to take up a clamping position in which they cause opposing thrust to be applied against the anvil and the inside face of a preformed part, its part itself bears against the shape-holder members.

A reconfigurable machining center includes a base structure extending in a first direction, a movable crossmember movable in the first direction and provided with a machining head, supporting elements on the base structure to enable movement of the movable crossmember along the first direction, a first leadscrew rack, integral with the base structure and having a first helical circular toothed sector, and extending along the entire base structure parallel to the first direction, and a first screw rotatably coupled to the movable crossmember and engaging a corresponding first leadscrew rack, and having a rotation axis parallel to the first direction. The longitudinal extension of the base structure in the first direction is an integer multiple of the pitch of tooth of the leadscrew racks, and the base structure includes coupling elements adapted to couple the base structure to a following and/or preceding adjacent base structure along the first direction.

A reconfigurable machining center includes a base structure extending in a first direction, a movable crossmember movable in the first direction and provided with a machining head, supporting elements on the base structure to enable movement of the movable crossmember along the first direction, a first leadscrew rack, integral with the base structure and having a first helical circular toothed sector, and extending along the entire base structure parallel to the first direction, and a first screw rotatably coupled to the movable crossmember and engaging a corresponding first leadscrew rack, and having a rotation axis parallel to the first direction. The longitudinal extension of the base structure in the first direction is an integer multiple of the pitch of tooth of the leadscrew racks, and the base structure includes coupling elements adapted to couple the base structure to a following and/or preceding adjacent base structure along the first direction.

An attachment for converting a CNC milling machine to a CNC wire saw machine. The attachment may include a gantry that may be coupled with a respective gantry of the CNC milling machine, a carriage that may be attached to and moveable with a respective carriage of the CNC milling machine. A drive pulley of the system may be coupled with and driven by a spindle of the CNC milling machine. The drive pully may drive a wire saw through an assembly of idler pulleys. A wire tension mechanism may keep the wire fully stretched. The wire tension mechanism may include a curved guide rail mounted on the gantry and a vertical guide rail mounted on the carriage. A slider that slides vertically on the vertical guide rail and follows the curved guide rail may house a tension wheel that may keep the wire at a fully stretched state.

A machining system with a configuration in which working machines, including a machine tool, are configured to be disposed in a line, and in which multiple working machines perform operations on one work in order, is provided. The machining system includes: a base; and multiple working machine modules which are mounted on the base and are arranged in an arrangement direction, and has a configuration in which each of the multiple working machine modules is capable of being drawn out from the base along a track extending in an intersecting direction intersecting with the arrangement direction.

A manufacturing system includes a base and multiple work machine modules that are attachable and detachable to and from the base arranged in the arrangement direction on the base or on the side of the base, in which the plurality of work machine modules include one or more processing work modules that perform machine processing work on a workpiece using a tool, and one or more supplementary work modules that perform supplementary work that is work supplementarily performed to the machine processing work. Since it is possible to easily increase and decrease the number of processing work modules and supplementary work modules or sort the modules, it is possible to easily recombine the modules with respect to modification of the manufacturing process.

A method of assembling a structure using a fixture is disclosed. The fixture comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the structure comprises an object and a beam that includes a web. The method comprises installing the fixture on the beam by gripping the beam between a first clamping face of the first portion and a second clamping face of the second portion so that a first contact face of the first portion and a second contact face of the second portion abut each other, and the first clamping face and the second clamping face engage the web; positioning the object relative to the beam between a first positioning face of the first portion and a second positioning face of the second portion without gripping the object; and installing a fastener so that the first portion is drawn toward the second portion.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing an aircraft structure. A drivable support may be driven from a first location to a second location to bring the drivable support together with at least one other drivable support to form a drivable support system. A structure may be held in a desired position using the drivable support system.

A machine tool for processing workpieces includes a processing device from which processed products to be discharged can be produced from a workpiece; and a discharge device including a discharge flap that can be pivoted into a discharge position inclined downwards relative to a horizontal position in order to discharge processed products and which defines a discharge direction in the discharge position, the discharge flap comprising a part support disposed along the upper side of the discharge flap along which the processed products move during discharge in the discharge direction, where the part support has at least two support regions which extend in the discharge direction and which are configured to accommodate different types of processed products.

The invention relates to tooling for holding parts in position to enable them to be friction welded together in order to construct a hollow structure, the tooling comprises: a framework made up of two frames for receiving the parts for welding together in their positions for forming the hollow structure, said parts comprising preformed parts and an intermediate section; shape-holder members for holding the hollow structure, associating backing thrust members and lateral grip members for gripping the outsides of the preformed parts; anvils suitable for being placed inside the set of preformed parts beside the section; and clamping means operable to take up a clamping position in which they cause opposing thrust to be applied against the anvil and the inside face of a preformed part, its part itself bears against the shape-holder members.