A changeover apparatus for changing between workpiece supports for a machining machine. The changeover apparatus has a base frame with a carrier apparatus for the workpiece supports, which are vertically movable by the carrier apparatus, with the result that one of the workpiece supports can be transferred into a working plane in which the workpiece support is moved from the carrier apparatus into the machining machine and guided out therefrom. A lifting apparatus acts between the base frame and the carrier apparatus and by way of which the carrier apparatus can be vertically moved relative to the base frame for one workpiece support to take up a first lifting position or a further lifting position in the working plane. The lifting apparatus contains a slotted guide, which movably actuates the carrier apparatus with the workpiece supports together between the first lifting position and the further lifting position.

A laser cutting head associable to a machine tool comprises a collimating group to collimate a laser beam coming from a laser emitting apparatus, a focusing group to focus in a focal point the laser beam collimated, an optical element to receive said laser beam focused and reflect a focused first portion thereof, and a wavefront sensor to receive said focused first portion of the laser beam, perform a phase measurement of a wavefront of said focused first portion, obtain a reconstructed wavefront on the basis of the phase measurement and send the reconstructed wavefront to an electronic processor; the electronic processor compares the reconstructed wavefront and a reference wavefront, determines one or more optical aberrations to which the laser beam is subjected, reduces such optical aberrations and changes said focal point.

A laser cutting head associable to a machine tool comprises a collimating group to collimate a laser beam coming from a laser emitting apparatus, a focusing group to focus in a focal point the laser beam collimated, an optical element to receive said laser beam focused and reflect a focused first portion thereof, and a wavefront sensor to receive said focused first portion of the laser beam, perform a phase measurement of a wavefront of said focused first portion, obtain a reconstructed wavefront on the basis of the phase measurement and send the reconstructed wavefront to an electronic processor; the electronic processor compares the reconstructed wavefront and a reference wavefront, determines one or more optical aberrations to which the laser beam is subjected, reduces such optical aberrations and changes said focal point.

A method for determining a minimum width of a microjoint by which, when machining a workpiece, in particular a sheet-like workpiece, a workpiece part remains connected to a remaining workpiece of the workpiece. In the method, the minimum width of the microjoint is determined in dependence on at least one machining parameter which influences a relative position of the workpiece part in relation to the remaining workpiece during the machining of the workpiece. A further method determines an attachment position of such a microjoint and a still further method machines the workpiece.

A method for determining a minimum width of a microjoint by which, when machining a workpiece, in particular a sheet-like workpiece, a workpiece part remains connected to a remaining workpiece of the workpiece. In the method, the minimum width of the microjoint is determined in dependence on at least one machining parameter which influences a relative position of the workpiece part in relation to the remaining workpiece during the machining of the workpiece. A further method determines an attachment position of such a microjoint and a still further method machines the workpiece.

A reflected beam detection value obtained by detecting a reflected beam of a visible beam generated on a sheet metal or a scattered beam detection value obtained by detecting a scattered beam from an optical component is stored in a storage unit, the reflected beam or the scattered beam being detected at a time when the sheet metal is cut by irradiating the sheet metal with a laser beam under a predetermined processing condition. The reflected beam detection value or the scattered beam detection value stored in the storage unit is registered as a reference value associated with the predetermined processing condition.

A reflected beam detection value obtained by detecting a reflected beam of a visible beam generated on a sheet metal or a scattered beam detection value obtained by detecting a scattered beam from an optical component is stored in a storage unit, the reflected beam or the scattered beam being detected at a time when the sheet metal is cut by irradiating the sheet metal with a laser beam under a predetermined processing condition. The reflected beam detection value or the scattered beam detection value stored in the storage unit is registered as a reference value associated with the predetermined processing condition.

An apparatus and method for transferring nanofiber structures (e.g., nanofiber films, nanofiber sheets, stacks of nanofiber grids, nanofiber films, nanofiber sheets, and combinations thereof) between various substrates are described. The techniques described use a soluble layer on a substrate that is subsequently dissolved, thus freeing the nanofiber structure from the substrate. This liquid phase techniques preserves the mechanical integrity and the purity of the nanofiber structures.

An apparatus and method for transferring nanofiber structures (e.g., nanofiber films, nanofiber sheets, stacks of nanofiber grids, nanofiber films, nanofiber sheets, and combinations thereof) between various substrates are described. The techniques described use a soluble layer on a substrate that is subsequently dissolved, thus freeing the nanofiber structure from the substrate. This liquid phase techniques preserves the mechanical integrity and the purity of the nanofiber structures.

A cutting blade for vegetation is provided for example for use in a straw chopper or rotary mower. The blade body includes a first base material and at least one hard surface bead formed on at least one surface of the base material extending up to a cutting edge of the base material. Beads can be applied longitudinally by the heat energy from the cladding laser system to form pockets so that the blade is serrated by the pockets when supplied with additional wear increasing the pockets to maintain the serrations. The chamfered side face of the blade body forming the cutting edge can also be formed using heat energy from the same laser cutting and cladding system.