The invention relates to a machine tool as well as to a method for operating the machine tool. The machine tool comprises a workpiece carrier (20) that can be incrementally rotated about an incremental advance axis (22) and has several carrier sides (25). A first workpiece chuck unit (26) for holding a workpiece in a first position (P1) and a second workpiece chuck unit (27) for holding a workpiece in a second position (P2) are arranged on each carrier side (25). In each angular position or incremental advance position of the workpiece carrier (20), one carrier side (25) is in a loading station (30), one carrier side (25) is in an unloading station 31, and the respectively other carrier sides (25) are in respectively one work station (32). A workpiece changing device (34) is provided, said device moving a partially machined workpiece (16a) out of the first position (P1) in the unloading station (31) into the second position (P2) in the loading station. The position change of the partially machined workpiece (16a) preferably also takes place during the incremental advance movement of the workpiece carrier (20). Preferably, the partially machined workpiece (16a) can be turned in doing so.

An automatic loading and unloading processing system includes a material storage assembly to store workpieces; a positioning device on a worktable; and a transport mechanism to transport the workpiece from the material storage assembly to the positioning device and transport the processed workpiece into the material storage assembly. The material storage assembly includes a material tray; fixing bases; a motion mechanism; and holders on the fixing base for fixing the workpiece, and the motion mechanism controls the movement of the material tray. The transport mechanism includes an auxiliary loading and unloading system arranged at a worktable to grab the holders and move horizontally; and a main loading and unloading system arranged on a main spindle to grab the holders and move vertically.

A conveying apparatus conveys an article between a wait position and a processing position. The conveying apparatus includes a plurality of arms that sandwiches the article between leading ends of the arms located on opposite sides of the article and that is provided to enable base ends of the arms to turn so as to move the leading ends in an up-down direction, and a control apparatus that turns the arms to lift the article located at one of the wait position and the processing position and sandwiched between the arms and that moves the arms with the article kept lifted thereby to the other of the wait position and the processing position, the control apparatus turning the arms to lower and mount the article at the other of the wait position and the processing position.

A machine tool system is provided that includes at least one machine tool for machining workpieces. A workpiece holding device is provided that holds one or more workpieces during machining using an adapter. A positioning device positions workpiece blanks on the adapters. An adapter loading and transporting device, which has an adapter gripping device that acts on the adapters and moves adapters that are provided with workpiece blanks from the positioning device to the at least one machine tool, loads the at least one machine tool and unloads adapters that are provided with machined workpieces from the at least one machine tool. A workpiece transporting device is provided which has a workpiece gripping device that acts on workpieces. After machined workpieces have been unloaded by the adapter loading and transporting device, the workpiece transporting device takes the workpieces up from the adapter loading and transporting device and removes them.

An assembling equipment for performing asynchronous process on a first workpiece and a second workpiece. The assembling equipment includes a base and a conveying mechanism on the base. The conveying mechanism transports a first positioning assembly carrying a first workpiece and a second positioning assembly carrying a second workpiece to a first station synchronously, and a first attaching mechanism attaches a first component to the first workpiece at the first station. Then the conveying mechanism transports the first positioning assembly and the second positioning assembly to a second station synchronously, a second attaching mechanism attaches a second component to the second workpiece, and a first processing mechanism processes first workpiece that has been attached with the first component according to a preset requirement at the same time. The assembling equipment improves efficiency of production.

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. A substrate processing apparatus includes a first front portion, a first rear portion, and a bridge portion that are arranged in this order in a front-rear direction. The first front portion includes a plurality of processing units. The first front portion includes a transport mechanism that transports a substrate to the processing units of the first front portion. The first rear portion includes a plurality of processing units. The first rear portion includes a transport mechanism that transports the substrate to the processing units of the first rear portion. The bridge portion includes the transport mechanism that places the substrate in the first front portion and the first rear portion.

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. A substrate processing apparatus includes an indexer portion, a slider portion, a bridge portion, a first front portion, and a first rear portion. The indexer portion, the slider portion, and the bridge portion are arranged in this order in a front-rear direction. The first front portion, the bridge portion, and the first rear portion are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction. The slider portion transports a substrate between the indexer portion and the bridge portion. The bridge portion transports the substrate between the slider portion and the first front portion. The bridge portion transports the substrate between the slider portion and the first rear portion. The first front portion includes a plurality of processing units. The first front portion includes a transport mechanism. The first rear portion includes a plurality of processing units. The first rear portion includes a transport mechanism. The slider portion overlaps with the processing units of the first front portion in plan view.