A method of milling a piece of raw steel stock comprising: presenting a piece of raw steel stock having a first surface and a second surface having a perimeter; presenting a magnetic chuck with a top surface configured to support the piece of raw steel stock for milling with magnetic capabilities; arranging a minimum of four solid pole extensions on the top surface to support the second surface of the piece of raw steel stock for milling of the first surface thereof such that the solid pole extensions will be relatively evenly distributed beneath the perimeter of the second surface; arranging multiple mobile pole extensions on the top surface to further support the second surface; placing the second surface onto the multiple mobile pole extensions and the solid pole extensions; activating the magnetic capabilities of the magnetic chuck; and milling the first surface to a desired flatness.

An axially elongate dental machining portion includes a machining region machinable by a dental machining device, and a fixing region for fixing the axially elongate dental machining portion to a holder of the dental machining device. In the fixing region is a fixing projection oriented transversely relative to a longitudinal axis. In a condition of the machining portion being mounted in the holder, the fixing projection bears against a holding nose positioned in complementary relationship on the holder. The machining region has a machinable surface which has a maximum spacing relative to the longitudinal axis, measured normal to the longitudinal axis, and the fixing projection has a maximum spacing relative to the longitudinal axis, measured normal relative to the longitudinal axis, that is greater than the maximum spacing of the machinable surface relative to the longitudinal axis.

A method for machining a workpiece which can prevent a reduction in machining accuracy and production efficiency. The method includes pressing a clamp part against a first portion of the workpiece, to clamp the workpiece in cooperation with a workpiece receiving part, causing the clamp part to move away from the first portion, to release the workpiece, which has been clamped by the clamp part, operating a robot to cause a robot hand to grasp a second portion of the workpiece, which is different from the first portion, to restrict the movement of the workpiece relative to the workpiece receiving part without a change in the posture of the workpiece, and operating a machine tool to machine the first portion while restricting the movement of the workpiece relative to the workpiece receiving part.

An automatic method for changing the machining reference frame on a machine for machining parts from bars, notably extruded or molded profile sections, the part to be machined being held during its machining by at least two distinct and independent clamping means each having a longitudinal movement and a rotation on an axis parallel to the long axis of the part to be machined allowing for a relative angular and longitudinal displacement of one relative to the other, a method whereby, in order to proceed with a change of reference frame, one of the clamping means releases the part to be machined and disengages therefrom to turn freely about the long axis of the part independently of the other clamping means, then aligns itself angularly on new clamping references of the part before retaking the latter and allowing for a change of grip by the other clamping means.

A clamp is disclosed for use in a key making machine. The clamp may have a stationary head guide with a slot configured to receive a key, and a pressure pad configured to engage the head guide and sandwich the key therebetween. The clamp may also have at least a first spring configured to continuously generate a force biasing the pressure pad toward the stationary head guide, a plunger configured to selectively engage the pressure pad, and a second spring configured to bias the plunger toward the pressure pad. The clamp may further have a release lever manually operable to urge the plunger away from the pressure pad and to compress the second spring.

A machining center for performing a plurality of machining operations, such as drilling, milling, cutting, using rotating tools, on metal profiles having a longitudinal extent greater than their cross-section dimension, particularly but not exclusively made of aluminum. The machining center comprises a base defining a work surface extending longitudinally with first and second ends, upon which the profile is manually laid by an operator or by a specially-designed automatic feeder. The base has a plurality of members thereon for supporting and locking the profile, as well as a pair of vertical columns for supporting motorized spindles, each column being located next to said base and being configured to being displaced in either direction, parallel to the longitudinal extent of the base along respective slide guides located next to said base. Each vertical column is equipped with a first carriage configured to vertically sliding in either direction along its respective column and with a second carriage mounted to the first carriage, and configured to sliding in either direction perpendicular to its respective column. The center also comprises a portal structure whose upper beam above said base is equipped with a motorized spindle for rotating tools, mounted to a support body configured to angular displacements around a pivot for rotating about a first axis parallel to the longitudinal extent of the base.

A machining jig for rotatably supporting a workpiece comprising: a rotary drive part which rotates a seating part about a rotation axis, a clamp arm which has a rotary type clamp member which cooperates with the seating part to fasten a workpiece at a position separated from the seating part in a direction along the rotation axis of the seating part, a linear drive part which moves the clamp arm in a direction along a rotation axis, a position adjusting part which adjusts a position of the clamp arm in a plane intersecting the rotation axis, and a tilt adjusting part which adjusts a tilt of the clamp member so that a rotation axis of the clamp member becomes parallel with the rotation axis of the seating part.

A clamp is disclosed for use in a key making machine. The clamp may have a stationary head guide with a slot configured to receive a key, and a pressure pad configured to engage the head guide and sandwich the key therebetween. The clamp may also have at least a first spring configured to continuously generate a force biasing the pressure pad toward the stationary head guide, a plunger configured to selectively engage the pressure pad, and a second spring configured to bias the plunger toward the pressure pad. The clamp may further have a release lever manually operable to urge the plunger away from the pressure pad and to compress the second spring.

A method for machining a workpiece which can prevent a reduction in machining accuracy and production efficiency. The method includes pressing a clamp part against a first portion of the workpiece, to clamp the workpiece in cooperation with a workpiece receiving part, causing the clamp part to move away from the first portion, to release the workpiece, which has been clamped by the clamp part, operating the robot to cause the robot hand to grasp a second portion of the workpiece, which is different from the first portion, to restrict the movement of the workpiece relative to the workpiece receiving part without a change in the posture of the workpiece, and operating the machine tool to machine the first portion while restricting the movement of the workpiece relative to the workpiece receiving part.

The present invention relates to embodiments of a machine tool, in particular a multi-spindle milling machine, comprise a machine frame, a workpiece clamping device for clamping a workpiece, an axis slide assembly arranged on the machine frame, and a spindle carrier assembly which is arranged on the machine frame and has at least two tool-carrying work spindles. The axis slide assembly is configured to linearly move the workpiece clamped at the workpiece clamping device by way of three controllable linear axes X, Y and Z. The work spindles are arranged at a turret which can be rotated or swiveled about a turret axis at respectively equal distance from the turret axis, and the spindle axes of the work spindles are aligned or can be aligned in parallel to one another and in parallel to the turret axis.