Hemming dies can be mounted on the respective two clamping jigs (22) of hemming processing stages (S1, S2) each having a turn table as a main part. After the hemming dies are allocated to sub-stages (S11), roller hemming processing is performed by hemming processing robots (1A, 1B) or hemming processing robots (2A, 26). Die storage devices (15A, 15B) for housing a plurality of hemming dies in a line are provided near the hemming processing stages (S1, S2). Hemming dies are changed between the die storage devices (15A, 15B) and the sub-stages (S12) of the hemming processing stages (S1, S2) by first and second die changing robots (17, 19). This makes it possible to provide a roller hemming processing system suitable for roller hemming processing in high-variety low-volume manufacturing.

In a case where a vacant space exists on only one side in a holder area of a stocker positioned at an exchange position, a first upper tool exchange unit is first moved in the left-right direction, and located in the vicinity of the vacant space. Next, the first upper tool exchange unit is moved forward and thereafter moved to the left, so that a tool retention member of the first upper tool exchange unit is brought into contact with one side surface of a tool. Then, under the contact state, the first upper tool exchange unit is moved to the right until the other side surface of the tool abuts on a stopper.

A tool storage device is provided inside a rack body arranged on a side of a bending machine in a left-right direction, and includes tool holding units for holding long upper tools. The tool holding units include a stocker linearly provided with tool holding grooves for holding the long upper tools, and a stocker moving unit for advancing and retracting the stocker in a front-rear direction, and horizontally rotating the stocker. The stocker has, as states between which switching can be performed, a first state in which the tool holding grooves are stored in the rack body in an orientation in the front-rear direction, and a second state in which the stocker advances to the outside of the rack body and the tool holding grooves are aligned in the left-right direction along a holder groove of the upper tool holder.

On a back side of a table, moving bodies are provided being movable in a left-right direction. A bending system includes moving actuators to cause the moving bodies to move in the left-right direction relative to the table and position detectors to detect positions of the moving bodies in the left-right direction. The moving bodies are provided with hole detectors to detect the engagement holes of tools fitted to a tool holder. The bending system includes a hole position acquisition unit to acquire positions of the engagement holes of the tools in the left-right direction, based on positions of the moving bodies in the left-right direction at the time of the engagement holes of the tools being detected.

A bending system includes a tool storage, first and second tool exchange units each having a tool retention member, and a control device. When misalignment of tools held by a tool holder of a press brake occurs or is estimated to occur, the control device is configured to (1) move the first tool exchange unit to one side in a lateral direction to a position corresponding to one end of a regular arrangement position at which the tool retention member of the first tool exchange unit contacts with the tools and (2) move the second tool exchange unit to another side in the lateral direction to a position corresponding to another end of the regular arrangement position at which the tool retention member of the second tool exchange unit contacts with the tools.

In an installing method for installing divided upper tools to upper tool holders disposed to be spaced at an appropriate interval in a left-right direction in a lower portion of an upper table of a press brake, by using a tool changer, a round bar-shaped finger provided in the tool changer is engaged in a circular engagement hole provided at a central portion in the lateral direction of each divided upper tool. The divided upper tool is temporarily positioned in a gap between an upper tool holder to which the divided upper tool is to be installed, and an adjacent upper tool holder. The temporarily positioned divided upper tool is moved in the left-right direction to be installed to the upper tool holder to which the divided upper tool is to be installed.

A tool storage unit for a press brake is described.

To improve the management and functionality of the storage unit, it comprises a tool support frame, which spans a vertical plane and comprises a plurality of linear guides to support tools, the guides being horizontal and staggered vertically. The storage unit comprises means for rotating a frame about an axis of rotation parallel to said vertical plane.

The invention relates to a combination of a press brake and a serial manipulator having at least six joints. The press brake includes a frame arranged on a base surface; two beams for clamping press brake tools, said beams being arranged in the frame and being movable towards to and away from each other in a direction perpendicular to the base surface. The serial manipulator includes a base, having a main plane, on which a first joint of the serial manipulator is arranged, which first joint is rotatable around a first axis perpendicular to the main plane. The serial manipulator is arranged at a distance from the press brake; and the first axis of the serial manipulator is tilted towards the press brake.