A sheet cutting and fusion apparatus including upper and lower cutters at uppermost and lowermost surfaces, respectively, of a plurality of overlapping sheets. The upper and lower cutters includes first and second cutting surfaces configured for contacting the lower cutter without any step when the upper cutter is moved vertically and the upper cutter without any step when the lower cutter is moved vertically, respectively; first and second fusion portions parallel to the first cutting surface and to the second cutting surface, respectively; first and second steps extending between the first cutting surface and first fusion portion and extending between the second cutting surface and second fusion portion, respectively; lower and upper surfaces configured to face one of the sheets, respectively; and first and second connection portions each having a curved corner connecting the lower surface and first fusion portion and connecting the upper surface and second fusion portion, respectively.

A machine tool arranged to deliver an energy source through a processing head onto a work-piece, wherein; the machine-tool has a clamping mechanism arranged to temporarily receive the processing-head, or another machining or processing-head, to process a work-piece; the processing-head comprising one or more guiding mechanisms arranged to direct the energy source onto a work-piece and a processing-head docking-manifold arranged to have connected thereto one or more media to be, in use, supplied to the processing-head to facilitate processing of the work-piece; wherein the processing-head docking-manifold allows the one or more media to be supplied to the processing-head when the processing-head is connected to the clamping mechanism; and wherein the machine-tool also comprises at least one mechanism arranged to move a supply docking-manifold into and/or out of connection with the processing-head docking-manifold such that when the two manifolds are connected the or each media is supplied to the processing head.

A machine tool arranged to deliver an energy source through a processing head onto a work-piece, wherein; the machine-tool has a clamping mechanism arranged to temporarily receive the processing-head, or another machining or processing-head, to process a work-piece; the processing-head comprising one or more guiding mechanisms arranged to direct the energy source onto a work-piece and a processing-head docking-manifold arranged to have connected thereto one or more media to be, in use, supplied to the processing-head to facilitate processing of the work-piece; wherein the processing-head docking-manifold allows the one or more media to be supplied to the processing-head when the processing-head is connected to the clamping mechanism; and wherein the machine-tool also comprises at least one mechanism arranged to move a supply docking-manifold into and/or out of connection with the processing-head docking-manifold such that when the two manifolds are connected the or each media is supplied to the processing head.

A press machine includes upper and lower crankshafts having the same amount of eccentricity and driven in opposite directions with a phase difference of 180 degrees, a slide and a bolster rotatably connected to eccentric parts of the upper and lower crankshafts, respectively, a parallel maintaining mechanism configured to maintain a parallelism between the slide and the bolster, and a clamp mechanism including an upper clamp attached to the slide and a lower clamp attached to the bolster. The slide and the bolster move toward/away from each other and advance/retreat together along a feed direction of a material in accordance with rotational driving of the upper and lower crankshafts. The clamp mechanism clamps the material when the slide and the bolster move toward each other and unclamps the material forwardly fed while being clamped when the slide and the bolster move away from each other.

The invention relates to a mounting press for automatically mounting metallographic samples in mounting material, comprising: a pressing unit with the press cylinder, a feeding device for feeding mounting material, e.g. plastic granules, a sample loading table with a plurality of loading stations, on each of which the operator can place a sample to be mounted, a control device, a grinder and/or polisher, comprising: a device housing, at least one processing station for processing the underside of the sample, wherein the processing station comprises a grinding plate with a grinding disc for grinding the underside of the sample or a polishing plate for polishing the underside of the sample, a sample feeder with a sample removal position for providing the samples for a grinding and/or polishing process, a sample deposit position for depositing the samples after the grinding and/or polishing process, a grinding-/polishing head with a sample gripper for gripping a sample, wherein the grinding/polishing head with the sample gripper moves to the sample removal position and the sample gripper grips a sample, wherein the grinding-/polishing head with the sample gripper conveys the sample to the at least one processing station and the underside of the sample is ground or polished in the processing station, and wherein the grinding-/polishing head with the sample gripper moves the sample to the sample deposit position after the grinding or polishing process and possibly further processing steps and deposits the sample there, as well as an automated production line for mounting a plurality of samples and for processing the thus mounted samples by grinding and/or polishing samples in a program-controlled overall system comprising an automated mounting press and an automated grinder and polisher.

The invention relates to a mounting press for automatically mounting metallographic samples in mounting material, comprising: a pressing unit with the press cylinder, a feeding device for feeding mounting material, e.g. plastic granules, a sample loading table with a plurality of loading stations, on each of which the operator can place a sample to be mounted, a control device, a grinder and/or polisher, comprising: a device housing, at least one processing station for processing the underside of the sample, wherein the processing station comprises a grinding plate with a grinding disc for grinding the underside of the sample or a polishing plate for polishing the underside of the sample, a sample feeder with a sample removal position for providing the samples for a grinding and/or polishing process, a sample deposit position for depositing the samples after the grinding and/or polishing process, a grinding-/polishing head with a sample gripper for gripping a sample, wherein the grinding/polishing head with the sample gripper moves to the sample removal position and the sample gripper grips a sample, wherein the grinding-/polishing head with the sample gripper conveys the sample to the at least one processing station and the underside of the sample is ground or polished in the processing station, and wherein the grinding-/polishing head with the sample gripper moves the sample to the sample deposit position after the grinding or polishing process and possibly further processing steps and deposits the sample there, as well as an automated production line for mounting a plurality of samples and for processing the thus mounted samples by grinding and/or polishing samples in a program-controlled overall system comprising an automated mounting press and an automated grinder and polisher.

A spatially coherent machine for manufacturing comprises, in one example, a workpiece holder configured to secure a workpiece, a toolholder with at least one axis of motion control configured to perform a subtractive machining operation on the workpiece using a machining tool, a heating element configured to perform a heating operation on the workpiece, and a forming element configured to perform a forming operation in which force is applied to the workpiece in an amount that causes plastic deformation of the workpiece material. The workpiece holder secures the workpiece during the heating, forming, and subtractive operations such that the forming and subtractive operations are performed in a spatially coherent manner.

A spatially coherent machine for manufacturing comprises, in one example, a workpiece holder configured to secure a workpiece, a toolholder with at least one axis of motion control configured to perform a subtractive machining operation on the workpiece using a machining tool, a heating element configured to perform a heating operation on the workpiece, and a forming element configured to perform a forming operation in which force is applied to the workpiece in an amount that causes plastic deformation of the workpiece material. The workpiece holder secures the workpiece during the heating, forming, and subtractive operations such that the forming and subtractive operations are performed in a spatially coherent manner.

The invention relates inter alia to a method for cutting a workpiece, in particular a blank or a component, comprising the following steps: inserting the workpiece (3) into a cutting device, wherein the cutting device comprises a first tool half (1) having at least one workpiece holder (12) and at least one first cutting means (11), which comprises a first cutting edge (111) and a contact surface (112), and a second tool half (2) having at least one second cutting means (21) having a second cutting edge (211) and a contact surface (212), clamping the workpiece (3) by means of the workpiece holder (12) and the contact surface (212) of the second cutting means, cutting the workpiece (3) by means of the cutting means (11, 21), the workpiece (3) undergoes, prior to cutting, both a first prebending, which is produced substantially in the opposite direction counter to the cutting direction, and thereafter a second prebending in the cutting direction.

The invention relates inter alia to a method for cutting a workpiece, in particular a blank or a component, comprising the following steps: inserting the workpiece (3) into a cutting device, wherein the cutting device comprises a first tool half (1) having at least one workpiece holder (12) and at least one first cutting means (11), which comprises a first cutting edge (111) and a contact surface (112), and a second tool half (2) having at least one second cutting means (21) having a second cutting edge (211) and a contact surface (212), clamping the workpiece (3) by means of the workpiece holder (12) and the contact surface (212) of the second cutting means, cutting the workpiece (3) by means of the cutting means (11, 21), the workpiece (3) undergoes, prior to cutting, both a first prebending, which is produced substantially in the opposite direction counter to the cutting direction, and thereafter a second prebending in the cutting direction.