A core grasping apparatus according to the present disclosure grasps a core including a core main body and a core print provided at one end of the core main body. The core grasping apparatus includes: a first holding device and a second holding device respectively including expandable and contractible first and second holding parts; and a turning suppression part configured to suppress the core from turning upon the core print being grasped by the first holding device and the second holding device. The first holding device and the second holding device grasp the core print by respectively expanding the first holding part and the second holding part, and the turning suppression part applies a force that suppresses a turning moment acting on the core to the core print.

A technique for detecting the completion of work of attaching a workpiece to a pallet is provided. A pallet transport system includes: a transport device for transporting a pallet to which a workpiece can be attached; a pallet housing unit for housing the pallet, a workstation in which a worker is to conduct work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transported from the pallet housing unit; a machine tool for machining the workpiece attached to the pallet in the workstation; and a control device for controlling the transport device. The control device acquires an indicator indicating progress of the attachment work in the workstation, determines whether or not the attachment work has been completed based on the indicator, and when it is determined that the attachment work has been completed, transports the pallet located in the workstation to the pallet housing unit or the machine tool.

A method and apparatus for processing workpieces to form parts. Tools associated with a multi-spindle machine may be positioned with respect to a plurality of workpieces on a fixture comprising a plurality of platforms and an adjustment system. Each platform may be individually moveable with respect to others in the plurality of platforms about a number of axes. The plurality of platforms may be configured to hold the plurality of workpieces in which each platform may be configured to hold a workpiece in the plurality of workpieces during operations performed by the multi-spindle machine. The adjustment system may be configured to move each of the plurality of platforms about the number of axes independently from the others in the plurality of platforms. The operations may be performed on the plurality of workpieces using the multi-spindle machine and the fixture to form a plurality of parts.

Provided is a workpiece attachment/removal device which enables an overall size including a machine tool to be more compact than conventional ones and does not influence machining time. The workpiece attachment/removal device includes a guide mechanism (11) disposed along an X-axis before a table, first and second placement tables (40, 50) disposed at right and left sides of the table behind the guide mechanism (11), and a transfer mechanism (20, 30) moving along the X-axis while being guided by the guide mechanism (11). The transfer mechanism (20, 30) includes a base engaged with the guide mechanism (11) and moving along the X-axis, a linear drive part moving the base along the X-axis, a pair of clamping arms having tip ends positioned at the table (6) side, a clamping drive part opening and closing the clamping arms, and a turning drive part turning the clamping arms to move the tip ends of the clamping arms between a lower position and an upper position. The transfer mechanism (20, 30) executes an operation of clamping a workpiece placed on the table (6) and unloading the workpiece onto the second placement table, and an operation of clamping a workpiece placed on the first placement table and loading the workpiece onto the table (6).

Provided is a workpiece attachment/removal device which enables an overall size including a machine tool to be more compact than conventional ones and does not influence machining time. The workpiece attachment/removal device includes a guide mechanism (11) disposed along an X-axis before a table, first and second placement tables (40, 50) disposed at right and left sides of the table behind the guide mechanism (11), and a transfer mechanism (20, 30) moving along the X-axis while being guided by the guide mechanism (11). The transfer mechanism (20, 30) includes a base engaged with the guide mechanism (11) and moving along the X-axis, a linear drive part moving the base along the X-axis, a pair of clamping arms having tip ends positioned at the table (6) side, a clamping drive part opening and closing the clamping arms, and a turning drive part turning the clamping arms to move the tip ends of the clamping arms between a lower position and an upper position. The transfer mechanism (20, 30) executes an operation of clamping a workpiece placed on the table (6) and unloading the workpiece onto the second placement table, and an operation of clamping a workpiece placed on the first placement table and loading the workpiece onto the table (6).

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.

An unloading station for a metal-cutting station and a metal-cutting machine for cutting tubular or bar-shaped workpieces. The unloading station has an unloading installation which receives workpieces guided out of a metal-cutting station and one or more workpiece supports into which the workpiece can be transferred from the unloading installation. A discharging installation for selectively discharging workpieces from the unloading installation has a longitudinal conveyor installation that extends at least between the unloading installation and the workpiece support, and which includes a workpiece turnout by way of which the workpiece delivered from the unloading installation can be selectively transferred into the longitudinal conveyor installation or onto the workpiece support.

An unloading station for a metal-cutting station and a metal-cutting machine for cutting tubular or bar-shaped workpieces. The unloading station has an unloading installation which receives workpieces guided out of a metal-cutting station and one or more workpiece supports into which the workpiece can be transferred from the unloading installation. A discharging installation for selectively discharging workpieces from the unloading installation has a longitudinal conveyor installation that extends at least between the unloading installation and the workpiece support, and which includes a workpiece turnout by way of which the workpiece delivered from the unloading installation can be selectively transferred into the longitudinal conveyor installation or onto the workpiece support.

The invention relates to a machine tool as well as to a method for operating the machine tool. The machine tool comprises a workpiece carrier (20) that can be incrementally rotated about an incremental advance axis (22) and has several carrier sides (25). A first workpiece chuck unit (26) for holding a workpiece in a first position (P1) and a second workpiece chuck unit (27) for holding a workpiece in a second position (P2) are arranged on each carrier side (25). In each angular position or incremental advance position of the workpiece carrier (20), one carrier side (25) is in a loading station (30), one carrier side (25) is in an unloading station 31, and the respectively other carrier sides (25) are in respectively one work station (32). A workpiece changing device (34) is provided, said device moving a partially machined workpiece (16a) out of the first position (P1) in the unloading station (31) into the second position (P2) in the loading station. The position change of the partially machined workpiece (16a) preferably also takes place during the incremental advance movement of the workpiece carrier (20). Preferably, the partially machined workpiece (16a) can be turned in doing so.

A machining device is provided with a machine tool, a pallet to which a workpiece is secured, a pallet changer configured to move and change the pallet, and a workpiece attaching unit configured to attach and detach the workpiece to and from the pallet. Further, the machining device is provided with a visual sensor configured to capture an image of the pallet, and contaminants that may possibly cause jamming as the workpiece is supplied to the pallet are detected from the image captured by the visual sensor. A workpiece supply operation for the pallet is suspended if the contaminants are detected.