A fixture for holding a barrel-shaped part, including an interior surface, in a fixed position includes a body configured to fit inside the barrel-shaped part and a support ring coupled to the body. The support ring includes a peripheral channel. The fixture further includes a bladder tube engaged with the peripheral channel of the support ring and inflatable to engage the interior surface of the barrel-shaped part when the body is inside the barrel-shaped part.

The workpiece support apparatus has: a case member that has an axial center and that is provided to a workpiece support part; a support member that is provided to the case member so as to be movable in the axial center direction and that has one end part projecting outwardly from the case member and supporting the workpiece so as to serve as a projection end part; a suction pad suctions the workpiece; an adjustment device that is provided between the support member and the case member in order to adjust contact pressure of the support member; an air intake path that sets the inside of the suction pad and that provides connection between a sucking port and an air intake port provided to suction and fix the projection end part to the workpiece; and a fixing device that fixes the support member to the case member.

The workpiece support apparatus has: a case member that has an axial center and that is provided to a workpiece support part; a support member that is provided to the case member so as to be movable in the axial center direction and that has one end part projecting outwardly from the case member and supporting the workpiece so as to serve as a projection end part; a suction pad suctions the workpiece; an adjustment device that is provided between the support member and the case member in order to adjust contact pressure of the support member; an air intake path that sets the inside of the suction pad and that provides connection between a sucking port and an air intake port provided to suction and fix the projection end part to the workpiece; and a fixing device that fixes the support member to the case member.

A clamp to retain a block of material on a machining table including a body having a first face, a first front face oriented toward the machining table and the block of material when in use, a nose projecting relative to the first front face having a second front face parallel to the first front face, first and second edges connecting the first and second front faces, and at least one internally threaded hole opening at least partly at the level of the second front face with an axis forming a non-zero angle with the first face and the second front face, at least one grub screw screwed into the internally threaded hole having a pointed free end configured to penetrate into the block of material when in use when screwing in the grub screw, and a connecting system to demountably connect the clamp to the machining table.

Described is a method for measuring operating parameters of a machining of at least one surface of a semi-finished component including the step of preparing a group of brushes; the step of preparing a line for the passage of the semi-finished components; the step of preparing a data acquisition and processing unit; the step of associating at least one measuring device in an integral fashion with the semi-finished component; the step of positioning on the line the semi-finished component; the step of machining the semi-finished component; the step of measuring a plurality of operating parameters of the machining performed during the machining step; the step of sending at least one signal representing said operating parameters to the data acquisition and processing unit.

Described is a method for measuring operating parameters of a machining of at least one surface of a semi-finished component including the step of preparing a group of brushes; the step of preparing a line for the passage of the semi-finished components; the step of preparing a data acquisition and processing unit; the step of associating at least one measuring device in an integral fashion with the semi-finished component; the step of positioning on the line the semi-finished component; the step of machining the semi-finished component; the step of measuring a plurality of operating parameters of the machining performed during the machining step; the step of sending at least one signal representing said operating parameters to the data acquisition and processing unit.

A support mechanism includes a fixed body, a rotating unit, a moving unit and a driving unit. The rotating unit is rotationally mounted to the fixed body. The moving unit, disposed at the fixed body, includes a ball screw spline shaft, a ball screw nut and a ball spline nut. The ball screw nut and the ball spline nut are both rotatably disposed at the ball screw spline shaft moved together with the rotating unit. The driving unit, disposed at the fixed body, includes a first driving member and a second driving member to rotate the ball screw nut and the ball spline nut, respectively. With different rotation pairs of the ball screw nut and the ball spline nut to the ball screw spline shaft, the ball screw spline shaft is driven to move, and the ball screw spline shaft is further to move the rotating unit.

An adjustable workpiece support system includes an adjustable support apparatus, an analysis support point module, a coordinate post-processing module and a control module. The adjustable support apparatus has a group of support devices for supporting a supported workpiece, the each support device being adjustable in height and angle. The analysis support point module is used to import a computer-aided design file of the supported workpiece, and analyze the computer-aided design file to obtain a group of support points of the supported workpiece. The coordinate post-processing module is configured to calculate the support coordinates of the each support device corresponding to the group of support points. The control module is configured to receive the support coordinates of the each support device, and adjust the height and angle of the each support device to support the supported workpiece, so that the amount of deformation of the supported workpiece is the minimum.

A system for supporting workpieces comprises a base and a plurality of support members (1), each support member (1) comprising a plate (11) and means for positioning the plate (11) in relation to the base. In at least some of the support members (1). The means for positioning the plate (11) comprise at least three controllably extendable members (13) arranged for determining the position and inclination of the plate (11) in relation to the base, thereby allowing for controlled positioning of the plate (11) in relation to the base and for controlled inclination of the plate (11).

An apparatus for processing a workpiece includes a holding table having a holding surface for holding the workpiece thereon, a processing unit for processing the workpiece held on the holding surface of the holding table, and a table cover for covering the holding surface when the workpiece is not held on the holding surface. The table cover has a contact surface for contacting at least the holding surface of the holding table, the contact surface being adhesive in nature.