An apparatus is provided for lightening of thin, flexible and shaped workpieces by removal machining of material from surfaces thereof, on a machining unit having a worktable and a counterthrust member which rests against a part of the surface of the workpiece opposed to the one on which said tool must work from time to time. The worktable includes a support member of the workpiece to be machined, and gripping mechanism which supports the workpiece during its machining independently of the support mechanism. The counterthrust mechanism includes a board movable according to several axes and carrying a plurality of supporting elements. The supporting elements can be individually translated or in groups between a draw-in position and an extended position to define a supporting plane depending on the shape of the surface of the workpiece against which the counterthrust mechanism rests. A method is also provided for mapping the workpiece surface.

A jig apparatus includes holding members on which an object to be processed is placed, which members are supported so that they are able to move in a vertical direction. The jig apparatus also includes control unit that controls positions in the vertical direction of the holding members. Control unit causes second holding members, which are selected from among holding members around first holding members on which the object is placed, to be moved to a place in the vertical direction, and to cause the first and second holding members to cooperate in holding the object.

Disclosed are a self-positioning assembly system for rapid assembly of an aircraft and a method thereof. The self-positioning assembly system includes a mounting platform, a framework assembly, a hole positioner assembly, a strut positioner assembly and a pallet assembly. The framework assembly is mounted on the mounting platform and includes a hole positioner column and a pallet column, the hole positioner assembly is arranged on the hole positioner column, the pallet assembly is arranged on the pallet column, a plurality of the hole positioner columns are respectively arranged on both sides of the mounting platform, and a plurality of the pallet columns are arranged in a middle of the mounting platform.

A manufacturing cell comprises a machine tool that has a tool carrier carrying a tool unit and has two adjacent workpiece paths oriented in a longitudinal direction. The tool unit can be displaced relative to a machine bed of the machine tool in a transverse direction and in a vertical direction. At least one workpiece carriage per workpiece path can be displaced in the longitudinal direction along the machine tool. The tool unit can be displaced in the longitudinal direction relative to the machine bed and/or relative to the workpiece carriages. The tool carrier overhangs or projects beyond the workpiece paths. The individual workpiece carriage can also be displaced in the longitudinal direction along the workpiece supply. Furthermore, the workpiece supply has at least one lowerable or tiltable stop device per workpiece path.

A system for supporting workpieces during machining. The system comprises one or more adjustable workpiece support assemblies and a robotic unit. Each workpiece support assembly comprises a pedestal and a rotatable fixture element. The robotic assembly comprises a hydraulic means of mobilizing and immobilizing each support assembly, so that the workpiece may be supported by an array of workpiece supports in a particular orientation. The robotic unit moves along a frame, and manipulates and fixes the position of the fixture elements to match the contour of a workpiece. An umbilical contains hydraulic lines which pair with hydraulic lines within the workpiece support, and hydraulic pressure to particular lines allows the release of clamps within the workpiece support.

A jig device of a workpiece in a machine tool includes: a holding mechanism that holds the workpiece in a cantilevered state; and a spindle-direction support mechanism including at least one spindle-direction support member disposed to face the workpiece from a side opposite to a spindle of the machine tool in a spindle direction with respect to the workpiece held in the cantilevered state by the holding mechanism. The spindle-direction support mechanism includes a spindle-direction drive unit that drives the spindle-direction support member in the spindle direction between a spindle-direction support position in contact with the workpiece and a spindle-direction retracted position separated from the workpiece, wherein the spindle-direction support mechanism is configured to be capable of changing a contact position where the spindle-direction support member is in contact with the workpiece on an orthogonal plane orthogonal to the spindle direction.

A jig device of a workpiece in a machine tool includes: a holding mechanism that holds the workpiece in a cantilevered state; and a spindle-direction support mechanism including at least one spindle-direction support member disposed to face the workpiece from a side opposite to a spindle of the machine tool in a spindle direction with respect to the workpiece held in the cantilevered state by the holding mechanism. The spindle-direction support mechanism includes a spindle-direction drive unit that drives the spindle-direction support member in the spindle direction between a spindle-direction support position in contact with the workpiece and a spindle-direction retracted position separated from the workpiece, wherein the spindle-direction support mechanism is configured to be capable of changing a contact position where the spindle-direction support member is in contact with the workpiece on an orthogonal plane orthogonal to the spindle direction.

A jig device of a workpiece in a machine tool includes: a holding mechanism that holds the workpiece in a cantilevered state; and a spindle-direction support mechanism including at least one spindle-direction support member disposed to face the workpiece from a side opposite to a spindle of the machine tool in a spindle direction with respect to the workpiece held in the cantilevered state by the holding mechanism. The spindle-direction support mechanism includes a spindle-direction drive unit that drives the spindle-direction support member in the spindle direction between a spindle-direction support position in contact with the workpiece and a spindle-direction retracted position separated from the workpiece, wherein the spindle-direction support mechanism is configured to be capable of changing a contact position where the spindle-direction support member is in contact with the workpiece on an orthogonal plane orthogonal to the spindle direction.

A method for adjusting a workpiece-supporting module includes: setting initial support position information of a workpiece, the initial support position information including positions of support devices and a spacing value for separating the support devices; according to the initial support position information, applying a finite element method to analyze a CAD file of the workpiece to obtain workpiece deformation information; according to the workpiece deformation information and target workpiece deformation information, realizing support position information corresponding to each support device, the support position information including X-axis coordinates and Y-axis coordinates; according to the support position information and a conversion program, obtaining a Z-axis coordinate and a normal vector of each support devices; and, according to the support position information, the Z-axis coordinate and the normal vector, adjusting the position and the angle of each support device. In addition, a variable system for adjusting the same workpiece-supporting module is also proposed.

A work-holding device comprising a housing, at least one pin, a cover, and a flow regulation mechanism. The housing further comprising at least one chamber, the chambers having a first end, a second end, a fluid opening at the first end, and a pin opening at the second end. The pins having an actuating end and a base end. The pins are arranged in the chambers with the base end within the chamber and the actuating end extending through the pin opening. The flow regulation mechanism is attached to the cover and configured to regulate fluid flow into and out of the chambers.