A method for machining a workpiece which can prevent a reduction in machining accuracy and production efficiency. The method includes pressing a clamp part against a first portion of the workpiece, to clamp the workpiece in cooperation with a workpiece receiving part, causing the clamp part to move away from the first portion, to release the workpiece, which has been clamped by the clamp part, operating the robot to cause the robot hand to grasp a second portion of the workpiece, which is different from the first portion, to restrict the movement of the workpiece relative to the workpiece receiving part without a change in the posture of the workpiece, and operating the machine tool to machine the first portion while restricting the movement of the workpiece relative to the workpiece receiving part.

The present invention relates to embodiments of a machine tool, in particular a multi-spindle milling machine, comprise a machine frame, a workpiece clamping device for clamping a workpiece, an axis slide assembly arranged on the machine frame, and a spindle carrier assembly which is arranged on the machine frame and has at least two tool-carrying work spindles. The axis slide assembly is configured to linearly move the workpiece clamped at the workpiece clamping device by way of three controllable linear axes X, Y and Z. The work spindles are arranged at a turret which can be rotated or swiveled about a turret axis at respectively equal distance from the turret axis, and the spindle axes of the work spindles are aligned or can be aligned in parallel to one another and in parallel to the turret axis.

There is provided a machining apparatus in which movement of a machining point is a little, restriction on the machining operation of an articulated robot is a little and movement of a worker for the teaching operation is a little. The machining apparatus has an articulated robot which is controlled in attitude according to a teaching operation and has a catch instrument for catching a workpiece at an arm tip thereof, and a machining unit equipped at a fixed portion located within an arm reachable zone of the articulated robot, wherein the machining unit has a working tool having a profiling portion where a machining target portion of the workpiece caught by the catch instrument of the articulated robot is pressed according to the attitude control of the articular robot, and a floating mechanism that pushes the working tool in a press direction of the workpiece.

A combined transfer and storage device for machining includes a storage level, a transfer device, at least one machining interface, and a feeding interface. The storage level has two or more storages that are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction and storage spaces for workpiece carriers, which are arranged one above the other for holding blanks or machined workpieces. The transfer device extends in the longitudinal direction. The machining interface is used for directly or mediately coupling with a machine tool. The feeding interface is accessible for a driverless transport vehicle. The transfer device accomplishes a workpiece transfer between the feeding interface, the storage level and the at least one machining interface. A manufacturing line is provided with a combined transfer and storage device and with at least one manufacturing system having at least one machine tool and a handling cell.

A steady rest has working and right-hand cover plates and a central plate sandwiched between them. The working cover plate has upper and lower open jaw-shaped guide tracks that are received within cavities. The central plate is movably disposed between the working and right-hand cover plates. The central plate slidably engages upper and lower gripping arms that are movable relative to the working cover plate between a clamped position and a retracted position. Tapered rails and rail engagement springs are disposed in a rail recess of the working cover plate. The rails are movable relative to each other to finely and precisely adjust the position at which the workpiece is clamped and moved horizontally or vertically when the gripping arms are in the clamped position.

A machining centre, with a first machining unit formed in a Z-axis direction of a coordinate system formed by three mutually perpendicular axis directions X, Y, Z, and equipped with a machining tool arranged in a machining zone, and a first tool slide movable in an X-axis and Y-axis direction, which can be equipped with a clamping device. The first tool slide has a drive spindle, and the clamping device is rotatable about a first axis of rotation. A second machining unit is operable independently of the first machining unit, and has a second tool slide movable independently of the first tool slide in the Z-axis direction, and a second workpiece positioning unit movable independently of the first workpiece positioning unit in the X-axis and Y-axis direction movable independently of the first tool slide in the Z-axis direction and a second workpiece positioning unit.