A fixture and a method of operating the fixture are disclosed for repositioning a workpiece disposed on the fixture to correct an offset between the centerline of the workpiece and an indexing position on the fixture. The fixture includes one or more linear actuators that linearly move vacuum grippers on their outboard ends into contact with surfaces of the workpiece. Vacuum is applied to the vacuum grippers, which enables the vacuum grippers to grip the surfaces of the workpiece. The linear actuators are driven to reposition the workpiece on the fixture to reduce the offset between the two below a threshold value. When in position, the fixture secures the workpiece in place for subsequent machining operations that may be performed on the workpiece.

A lower drill tool that is structurally configured to receive a bracket, and, to cooperate with an upper drill tool having a pair of spaced apart drill bits. The lower drill tool has part receiving surface, a pair of spaced apart drill bores, a central bore, a centering nub and a biasing member. The drill bores extend downwardly away from the part receiving surface. The central bore is between the drill bores and extends downwardly away from the part receiving surface. The centering nub is slidable within the central bore, and has an upper tip extendable beyond the part receiving surface, positionable between an extended position and a partially retracted position. The upper tip has a conical configuration. The biasing member is positioned within the central bore and biases the centering nub toward the extended position. A drill system and a method are also disclosed.

A clamping apparatus includes: a support member (19) inserted in a leading-end-side portion of the housing (1) so as to be movable in its axial direction; a resistance giving mechanism (34) configured to give resistance to axial movement of the support member (19); and an engagement maintaining mechanism (26) configured to maintain engagement between a wedge surface (24) of a clamp rod (7) and a locking member (23). When the clamp rod (7) is driven toward a leading end side for unclamping action, the clamp rod (7) moves the locking member (23) toward the leading end side via the support member (19) after the locking member (23) moves radially inward.

A method of correcting an axial position of a workpiece support (1) used for removing material from a dental workpiece (2) which is held by the workpiece support (1) and is rotated together with the workpiece support (1) about a drive rotation axis (3) when material is being removed. The workpiece support (1) has at least two workpiece support parts (4, 5, 6) which can be separated from each other and connected to each other. One of the workpiece support parts (4, 5) has at least one compensation region (7) with a material projection (8) for introducing a compensation surface (9) by removing material, and the other workpiece support part (6) has a seating surface (10) for connecting to the compensation surface (9) in a form fitting manner.

A centering tool includes: a shank portion having a shaft portion for attachment; a rotating member rotatably supported by the shank portion and having a pair of contacts disposed apart from each other in a direction orthogonal to an axis of the shank portion; and a displacement sensor provided integrally with the shank portion and detecting displacement in the direction orthogonal to the axis of the shank portion at an intermediate position between the pair of contacts, in which a circular workpiece is centered by being pushed toward a rotation center of a rotary table while each of the pair of contacts is caused to abut against a peripheral surface of the circular workpiece disposed on the rotary table.

A clamping apparatus includes: a support member (19) inserted in a leading-end-side portion of the housing (1) so as to be movable in its axial direction; a resistance giving mechanism (34) configured to give resistance to axial movement of the support member (19); and an engagement maintaining mechanism (26) configured to maintain engagement between a wedge surface (24) of a clamp rod (7) and a locking member (23). When the clamp rod (7) is driven toward a leading end side for unclamping action, the clamp rod (7) moves the locking member (23) toward the leading end side via the support member (19) after the locking member (23) moves radially inward.

A handle is coupled to an industrial machine tool, along with a method of operating the industrial machine tool via the handle. The handle comprises a housing, a first switch, and a second switch. The housing includes a first side, a second side, a top end, and a bottom end, the first side facing toward the industrial machine tool and the second side facing away from the industrial machine tool. The first switch actuates a float mode for the industrial machine tool, the float mode being a mode in which movement of a moveable portion of the industrial machine tool is power assisted for an operator of the industrial machine tool. The second switch actuates a machining portion, coupled to the moveable portion of the industrial machine tool, to perform a machining process on a workpiece.

A workpiece locational positioner apparatus that is compact for precisely positioning a workpiece from a position above a tool or fixture includes a cylinder assembly, a central (tip) cam plate adapted to convert the reciprocating motion of the cylinder assembly into a rotational motion, and an engagement package mounted to the cam plate, to accurately engage, position and locate the workpiece in the tool.

A method and rivet apparatus comprise a rivet block, the rivet block comprising a rivet block, a pin bore, and a rivet feed bore. The rivet block is comprised of a top end and a bottom end. The pin bore includes a top end and a bottom end and is disposed within the rivet block. The pin bore extends from the top end to the bottom end of the rivet block and guides a rivet pin that slides downward within the pin bore to push a head of a rivet into a workpiece. The rivet feed bore includes a top end and a bottom end and is disposed within the rivet block. The rivet feed bore extends from the top end to the bottom end of the rivet block, accepts the rivet at the top end of the rivet feed bore, and guides the rivet to the bottom end of the rivet feed bore. The rivet feed bore intersecting the pin bore between the top end and the bottom end of the pin bore at an oblique angle.

The invention is based on a precision apparatus for placement into storage and/or removal from storage (54) for an at least semiautomated placement into storage and/or removal from storage of tools (10), in particular tool assemblies (12), and/or of tool chucks (14) into and/or out of a storage lift (16), with at least one holding unit (24) for tools (10), in particular tool assemblies (14), and/or tool chucks (14), which is loadable by a handling robot (18) and forms a plurality of storage bins (20, 22).

It is proposed that the holding unit (24) comprises at least one form-fitting centering element (26), which is configured to interact with a centering bolt (28) and/or a centering recess for a submillimeter-precise horizontal orientation of the holding unit (24).