The invention relates to a method for bending a workpiece (1) of sheet metal, whereby a deformation region (6), in particular a strip-shaped region, on the workpiece (1) containing the bent edge to be produced (5) is heated before and/or during the bending process to a deforming temperature below the fusion temperature of the metal to increase deformability locally. In order to reduce undesirable deformation due to shrinkage stress, the workpiece (1) is heated before and/or during and/or after the bending operation in at least one heating zone (11) that is different from the deformation region (6) by means of the application of energy from outside the workpiece (1) starting from an initial temperature to a processing temperature below the fusion temperature of the metal.

The device comprises a base (12), a mobile support (14), a contact member (16), a lever (34) which comprises a blocking arm (38) pivotally mounted around an axis (36). The device comprises retention means (40, 42) capable of opposing the pivoting of the lever. The device also comprises a reaction member (48A) fixed with respect to the base (12) and capable of cooperating with a reaction zone of the blocking arm (38) by defining a reaction surface inclined with respect to the translation direction X of the support on the base. The pivoting of the lever allowed by the release of the retention means allows the displacement of the contact member.

A table assembly is used to support a workpiece to facilitate bending of the workpiece. The table assembly is attached to a press brake system and include a base and a clamp. The clamp is movable relative to the base to enable placement of the workpiece onto the base, and the clamp secures the workpiece to the base to block relative movement between the workpiece and the press brake system without additional user operations. The workpiece is secured via the table assembly without a manual force (e.g., to hold the workpiece in place) while the press brake system operates to bend the workpiece. The table assembly reduces, limits, or eliminates certain user operations during metalworking. The table assembly improves user experience (e.g., reduce an amount of manual labor) and/or efficiency associated with press brake operations.

The invention relates to a support device (15) for a press brake, comprising a base frame (24) and a support plate (17) with a bearing surface (18) which can be positioned between a base position (26) and a maximum position (27). The support plate (17) is arranged on a lever linkage system (25) which is connected to a drive unit (32) and which is designed as a parallel kinematics system. The drive unit (32) comprises a crank (35), which is connected to a positioning drive (33) designed as a rotary drive (34), and a rocker (54), which is connected to the crank in an articulated manner. The rocker (54) is connected to the crank (35) by means of an eight rotary joint (55) and to the lever linkage system (25) by means of a ninth rotary joint (56).

The device comprises a base (12), a mobile support (14), a contact member (16), a lever (34) which comprises a blocking arm (38) pivotally mounted around an axis (36). The device comprises retention means (40, 42) capable of opposing the pivoting of the lever. The device also comprises a reaction member (48A) fixed with respect to the base (12) and capable of cooperating with a reaction zone of the blocking arm (38) by defining a reaction surface inclined with respect to the translation direction X of the support on the base. The pivoting of the lever allowed by the release of the retention means allows the displacement of the contact member.

Bending machine with a machine bed including a workpiece table with a workpiece support surface and an upper tool which is linearly movable mounted to the machine bed along a movement axis and which has a bottom edge arranged adjacent to the workpiece support surface. The lower edge and the movement axis define a movement plane which separates a handling space from a workpiece receiving space, in which a first optical safety device is arranged in the handling space and a second optical safety device is arranged in the workpiece receiving space, and with a safety controller to process sensor signals from the optical safety devices and for switching off a drive associated with the upper tool. The safety controller provides a first operating mode, in which only the first sensor signals are processed, and a second operating mode, in which only the second sensor signals are processed.

A work processing apparatus upwardly turns a wrist of a vertical articulated robot to retract a hand that is holding a work to a position where the hand and work do not interfere with a press brake. In this state, an engaging projection arranged at a front end of an upper arm or at the wrist is inserted into an engaging hole of a lower die of the press brake and the vertical articulated robot is operated to move the lower die along a groove of a die holder.

A press brake assembly with a sheet follower with an actuation assembly that allows the sheet follower to follow a downwards bending workpiece. The sheet follow is adjacent to the press brake and is capable of following the workpiece throughout different bends without changing the position of the workpiece. The sheet follower includes a table and rotatable arms attached to the table. The actuation assembly of the sheet follower includes two blocks that is configured to move the rotatable arms that allow the table to follow the bending of the workpiece.

A method transports and/or handles components, in particular sheet metal parts, and a production plant includes a manipulator arrangement having a first manipulator arm and at least one second manipulator, wherein the first manipulator and the at least one second manipulator are designed to pick up, transport, hold and/or deposit a component, at least one processing device for carrying out processing steps on the component, wherein the component is transferred from the first manipulator to the at least one second manipulator after a first processing cycle at a predetermined re-gripping time, the re-gripping time being between the first processing cycle and at least one second processing cycle, wherein the component at least in portions rests on the processing device during the re-gripping time and is supported in a load-dissipating manner solely by the processing device.

A manipulator for components, in particular sheet metal parts, includes a base body mountable stationarily or movable along a guide arrangement, a first pivot arm pivotally coupled to the base body via a horizontal first pivot axis, a second pivot arm pivotally coupled to the first pivot arm via a horizontal second pivot axis and a third pivot arm pivotally coupled to the second pivot arm via a horizontal third pivot axis. A first axis of rotation extending radially to the third pivot axis is formed on the third pivot arm. A gripper support arm is rotatably coupled to the third pivot arm via the first axis of rotation and extends radially to the first axis of rotation. A gripping arrangement is rotatably coupled to the gripper support arm via a second axis of rotation spaced from the first axis of rotation. A bending installation includes the manipulator.