A system includes a vehicle and at least one rail dividing a field into an unprocessed material field and a processed material field. The vehicle is supported upon at least one rail and (a) at least one primary material-containing bay configured for receiving the quantity of unprocessed material, and (b) a secondary material-containing bay configured for receiving a portion of one or more of a first portion of processed material and a partially processed material from the at least one primary material containing bay. The vehicle is configured for movement upon the at least one rail for transporting one or more of the first portion of processed material and a partially processed material from the at least one primary material containing bay to the secondary material containing bay.

A universal machining system capable of accommodating multiple small-batch or one-off machining jobs, involving workpieces of different diameter and composition, comprises a rotating chuck having multiple jaws that may be adjusted positionally inward or outward towards the longitudinal centerline of the workpiece or removed entirely, and a tool turret capable of holding a variety of socketed tools. System also comprises a measurement sensor, which may be separate or comprise one of the socketed tools. A control program collects machining instructions for a series of workpieces, and directs the chuck, the tool turret, the measurement sensor, and at least one robot to load/unload workpieces and tools from the chuck and turret, respectively, measure workpieces and tools for quality control, and track available storage, overriding or skipping individual machining instructions as dictated by safety parameters and the availability of raw materials and tools.

A method of processing profiles in a profile processing assembly includes a working machine and a profile infeed assembly. The profile infeed assembly includes an infeed cross transport assembly, and an infeed conveyor assembly with an infeed conveyor and a measuring truck. The infeed conveyor has a first end remote from the working machine. The infeed cross transport assembly supplies individual profiles to the infeed conveyor assembly. The infeed conveyor assembly supplies individual profiles to the working machine by means of a measuring truck which engages a profile and moves the profile over the infeed conveyor to the working machine. The method includes determining the longitudinal position of a first end of a profile that is facing away from the working machine and moving the measuring truck to an optimal rest position which is closest to the first end of the profile to be fed onto the infeed conveyor.

A method of processing profiles in a profile processing assembly includes a working machine and a profile infeed assembly. The profile infeed assembly includes an infeed cross transport assembly, and an infeed conveyor assembly with an infeed conveyor and a measuring truck. The infeed conveyor has a first end remote from the working machine. The infeed cross transport assembly supplies individual profiles to the infeed conveyor assembly. The infeed conveyor assembly supplies individual profiles to the working machine by means of a measuring truck which engages a profile and moves the profile over the infeed conveyor to the working machine. The method includes determining the longitudinal position of a first end of a profile that is facing away from the working machine and moving the measuring truck to an optimal rest position which is closest to the first end of the profile to be fed onto the infeed conveyor.

A machining apparatus is borne by an articulated arm and includes: a casing defining an opening to be placed by the articulated arm in a machining position so the opening faces the surface to be machined; at least three bearers attached to the casing to rest against the surface to be machined in the machining position; an attachment system fixing the casing to the surface to be machined; at least one support mounted to move with respect to the casing, and a machine-tool mounted on the support; and at least one position sensor providing position parameters representing a relative position of the surface to be machined with respect to the casing. Also included is a control system operating the support and to move the machine-tool with respect to the casing according to a movement instruction, the control system being designed to calculate the movement instruction using the position parameters.

A machining apparatus is borne by an articulated arm and includes: a casing defining an opening to be placed by the articulated arm in a machining position so the opening faces the surface to be machined; at least three bearers attached to the casing to rest against the surface to be machined in the machining position; an attachment system fixing the casing to the surface to be machined; at least one support mounted to move with respect to the casing, and a machine-tool mounted on the support; and at least one position sensor providing position parameters representing a relative position of the surface to be machined with respect to the casing. Also included is a control system operating the support and to move the machine-tool with respect to the casing according to a movement instruction, the control system being designed to calculate the movement instruction using the position parameters.

A processing machine is provided which can accurately evaluate the results of periodic inspection. This processing machine, for processing a workpiece, is provided with: an information storage unit which, as reference information, stores information that includes multiple pieces of in-process information, which indicate the processing state when the workpiece was subjected to inspection processing, and processing result information, which has been obtained by measuring the product obtained by the inspection processing; an acquisition unit which acquires comparison information, which includes the processing result information and the multiple pieces of in-process information in inspection processing that was carried out after the inspection processing for which the reference information was acquired; a comparison unit which compares the comparison information and the reference information; and a display control unit which displays on a display unit the results of comparison by the comparison unit.

A processing machine is provided which can accurately evaluate the results of periodic inspection. This processing machine, for processing a workpiece, is provided with: an information storage unit which, as reference information, stores information that includes multiple pieces of in-process information, which indicate the processing state when the workpiece was subjected to inspection processing, and processing result information, which has been obtained by measuring the product obtained by the inspection processing; an acquisition unit which acquires comparison information, which includes the processing result information and the multiple pieces of in-process information in inspection processing that was carried out after the inspection processing for which the reference information was acquired; a comparison unit which compares the comparison information and the reference information; and a display control unit which displays on a display unit the results of comparison by the comparison unit.

A component production method includes: a step of binding a long frame by a plurality of support devices arranged along the frame; a step of measuring, with a distance sensor, a distance to the frame supported by the plurality of support devices; a step in which, based on frame shape data prerecorded in a memory, the support devices move support positions where the frame is supported so that a calculated radial position of the frame being supported by the support devices matches the data about the frame shape; a step of fixing the frame in a state in which the data about the frame shape matches the radial position of the frame; and a step of performing a hole-making operation on the fixed frame.

To provide a control device for a machine tool capable of performing thread cutting while reducing the load on the machine tool from the oscillating operation, without extending the cycle time, and capable of reliably shredding chips in a case of performing the non-oscillating operation in the present pass after the oscillating operation in the previous pass. A control device for a machine tool includes: an oscillating operation execution determination unit that determines whether to execute an oscillating operation that causes the cutting tool to oscillate in the radial direction of the workpiece; an oscillation command generation unit that generates an oscillation command of the oscillating operation based on a determination result; a control unit that superimposes the oscillation command on a position command of the feed axis to generate a drive command. The oscillating operation execution determination unit determines to intermittently execute the oscillating operation, and the oscillation command generation unit generates an oscillation command so that a non-oscillating cutting portion of a present pass includes a portion at which oscillating cutting was performed in a previous pass, or so that an oscillating cutting portion of the present pass includes a portion at which non-oscillating cutting was performed in the previous pass.