A workpiece supply system may be provided to enable automatic loading of workpieces to be machined into a CNC machining center and to retrieve finished workpieces from the CNC machining center. The workpiece supply system may include a shelf arrangement that stores a number of pallets each bearing one or more workpieces in a vertical and horizontal arrangement. A pallet retrieval unit may engage the pallets on the shelves and a gantry may maneuver the pallet retrieval unit into the CNC machining center. The pallet retrieval unit may engage a pallet clamping base within the CNC machining center to unlock a pallet bearing a finished workpiece and then exchange the finished workpiece pallet for a new workpiece pallet.

A dental milling machine has idle receptacles arranged in a storage chamber for storing a plurality of blanks. The blanks each are placed without frame as a frameless blank in the idle receptacles. A transfer device with a transport arm is arranged in the storage chamber. A work chamber adjoins the storage chamber. A transfer opening is arranged between work chamber and storage chamber. The transport arm grips a frameless blank stored in the storage chamber and moves it through the transfer opening into the work chamber. A workpiece holder arranged in the work chamber receives the frameless blank from the transport arm. The workpiece holder grips the frameless blank by a receiving rim of the frameless blank. The workpiece holder, for milling the frameless blank in the work chamber by a milling tool, holds by a clamping action the frameless blank at the receiving rim.

A dental milling machine has idle receptacles arranged in a storage chamber for storing a plurality of blanks. The blanks each are placed without frame as a frameless blank in the idle receptacles. A transfer device with a transport arm is arranged in the storage chamber. A work chamber adjoins the storage chamber. A transfer opening is arranged between work chamber and storage chamber. The transport arm grips a frameless blank stored in the storage chamber and moves it through the transfer opening into the work chamber. A workpiece holder arranged in the work chamber receives the frameless blank from the transport arm. The workpiece holder grips the frameless blank by a receiving rim of the frameless blank. The workpiece holder, for milling the frameless blank in the work chamber by a milling tool, holds by a clamping action the frameless blank at the receiving rim.

A method and apparatus for delivering and retrieving workpieces to and from a machine table. This invention also relates to an apparatus for receiving at the machine table workpieces which are delivered to and retrieved by the delivery system. Carriers move along a conveyor without a loading arm rotating with respect to a supply table and also without the supply table rotating with respect to the loading arm. The receiver has pivot arms that act in a scissor-like manner to open and close an opening that lockingly engages a connector connected to a pallet.

The invention relates to a machining device for the machine-assisted production and machining of dental workpieces (16), particularly of artificial teeth and/or other dental replacement parts, the at least one workpiece (16) being clamped in at least one workpiece retainer (11) which can be raised, lowered and rotatably driven, is positioned on a rotational axis (9), and, for the purpose of machining, feeds said workpiece (16) to at least one tool spindle (4, 5, 6) that is rotationally driven and has a tool (7) secured thereto, an additional tool retainer (2, 2a, 2b) with a plurality of tools (7) arranged thereupon being associated with said workpiece retainer (11, 11a, 11b) and lying opposite on one side thereof, and a workpiece changer (22, 22a, 22b) which receives the workpieces (16, 16a, 16b, 16c) to be machined, such that they can be exchanged, being arranged on the other side of said workpiece retainer (11, 11a, 11b).

The invention relates to a machining device for the machine-assisted production and machining of dental workpieces (16), particularly of artificial teeth and/or other dental replacement parts, the at least one workpiece (16) being clamped in at least one workpiece retainer (11) which can be raised, lowered and rotatably driven, is positioned on a rotational axis (9), and, for the purpose of machining, feeds said workpiece (16) to at least one tool spindle (4, 5, 6) that is rotationally driven and has a tool (7) secured thereto, an additional tool retainer (2, 2a, 2b) with a plurality of tools (7) arranged thereupon being associated with said workpiece retainer (11, 11a, 11b) and lying opposite on one side thereof, and a workpiece changer (22, 22a, 22b) which receives the workpieces (16, 16a, 16b, 16c) to be machined, such that they can be exchanged, being arranged on the other side of said workpiece retainer (11, 11a, 11b).

Provided is a technique for improving the transport efficiency of workpieces by a transport system compared to before. A transport system of workpiece includes a transport device, a storage, which is one of transport destinations of workpiece by the transport device, a work station, which is one of transport destinations of workpiece by the transport device, a machine tool, which is one of transport destinations of workpiece by the transport device, and a controller. The controller executes a processing of acquiring a first weight of a workpiece to be transported to the storage from the work station, and a processing of determining a storage destination inside the storage for the workpiece to be transported based on the first weight, and the storage destination is determined so as to be closer to the machine tool as the first weight increases.

Provided is a bar feeder that pushes a rod-shaped workpiece into a hollow main shaft having a holding mechanism at one end of the main shaft, from another end, the bar feeder being arranged in a work room arranged adjacent to a processing room where the main shaft is installed, the work room being provided with a work machine including a transport mechanism for moving an article to and from the processing room, and the bar feeder being arranged at a position at which at least a portion thereof overlaps with the work mechanism in a top view or a front view.

A robotic grommet installer includes a robotic arm and an installation unit. The installation unit includes a rotary grommet holder rotatively coupled to the robotic arm and an installer coupled to the robotic arm. The rotary grommet holder includes a plurality of grommet chambers spaced circumferentially about a rotational axis of the rotary grommet holder. Each grommet chamber of the plurality of grommet chambers is configured to hold a plurality of grommets. The installer is configured to retrieve a grommet from the rotary grommet holder, wherein the rotary grommet holder is configured to rotate to align the installer with an available grommet positioned within one of the plurality of grommet chambers.

A muntin bar fabrication system can be used to efficiency produce a wide variety of different types of muntin bars, allowing the fabrication of both standard and custom muntin bar assemblies for doors, windows, and other fenestration products. In some examples, the fabrication system includes a muntin bar stock storage assembly that holds multiple different types of muntin bar stock. The system also includes a muntin bar stock extraction device that extracts one of the different types of muntin bar stock from the storage assembly and conveys the extracted muntin bar stock to a feed device. The feed device feeds the extracted piece of muntin bar stock into a cutting system that includes a multi-axis cutter. The cutting system that performs one or more cutting operations on the extracted muntin bar stock so as to fabricate one or more individual muntin bars from the extracted muntin bar stock.