When measuring the position of a workpiece fixed to a table of a machine tool: rotary feed axes of the machine tool are pivoted such that an upper surface of the table faces in the direction of a line of sight of a camera, and an image of the workpiece is captured; the rotary feed axes are pivoted such that a side surface of the table faces in the direction of the line of sight of an image capturing device, and an image of the workpiece is captured; and the position of the workpiece is measured on the machine tool on the basis of the captured images.

An apparatus is disclosed for identifying a target region along a surface of a barrier corresponding to a plane defined along a member, where the member is occluded from view by nature of the barrier. The apparatus includes a measurement device and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly generates a magnetic field, and is positioned along a predetermined location of the member over a first side of the barrier. The measurement device is positioned over a second side of the barrier and measures properties of the magnetic field to identify the target region in general alignment with the plane.

A device for coordinated movement and/or orientation of a tracking tool relative to a portable tool handled by an operator on a production station allows a tracking tool to track the movements of a portable tool handled by an operator, without the intervention of an additional operator. Also described is a smoothing method using the device, as well as a smoothing station for implementing the method.

A machine tool control system according to the present invention includes: a three-dimensional coordinate computing unit which calculates three-dimensional coordinates of a workpiece based on a plurality of images of the workpiece, the images being taken by the imaging apparatus from a plurality of different directions, and which calculates, from the three-dimensional coordinates, three-dimensional coordinates of a specified machining start point on the workpiece; and a coordinate converting unit which converts three-dimensional coordinates that includes the machining start point on the workpiece calculated by the three-dimensional coordinate computing unit into coordinates in the machine coordinate system for the machine tool, and which sets the converted three-dimensional coordinates of the machining start point on the workpiece, as a workpiece origin, into the machining program for the machine tool.

The present disclosure is directed to calibrating position detection for a tool. The tool can use a sensor to detect a first value of a parameter. The tool can use a motor to extend the working member of the tool towards a working surface. The tool can include a base. The tool can detect, with the working member in contact with the working service, a second value of the parameter. The tool can determine a z-axis position of the working member relative to the working surface.

The present invention provides certain additional improvements for such mechanical-type multi-axis machine tools. These improvements include: (1) permitting the spindles to be rotated about their respective axes relative to the member independently of one another, (2) providing a low-cost, and yet highly-effective, sensor apparatus for determining the angular position of the member relative to the frame without the use of an expensive encoder or the like, (3) mounting the rotatable member more precisely relative to the frame, and (4) providing a zero-backlash tool slide on the frame for imparting an action to a workpiece.

A method measures an edge of a workpiece by scanning. The scanning is performed by a scanning tool mounted on a moving head of an edge-facing machine while that moving head is moved along the edge to be measured before, during or after an edge facing tool of the edge-facing machine that faces the edge. The method can be performed by an edge-facing machine that includes at least one edge facing tool and that further includes a scanning tool mounted on a movable head of the machine, which head is movable along an edge of a workpiece.

A method for the in-situ reconditioning of a heavy workpiece mounted on the floor. The method comprises assembling a jig mounted on the floor so as to be arranged around the workpiece to be reconditioned, that is also mounted on the floor, the jig supporting a gantry at the two ends of same, on which there is mounted a precision robotic arm carrying at least one machining apparatus. The method also comprises the alignment of the workpiece and the jig using a precision laser alignment tool in order to allow the jig, the gantry and the robotic arm to form a precision machining apparatus. The method also comprises the reconditioning of the workpiece using the precision machining apparatus.

The invention relates to a transport system for workpiece carriers along a path, wherein each of a plurality of workpiece carriers has its own drive and energy storage, wherein the drive is effected via a drive means rolling on the guide of the path, said drive means being driven by a motor of the workpiece carrier, wherein at least one absolute value track is attached along the path for position coding of the path and each of a plurality of workpiece carriers has an absolute value sensor, which reads out the absolute value of the absolute value track.

Proposed is a machine tool unit with a stator unit and a rotor unit which is rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the rotor unit comprises a spindle head with a tool-holding unit having a tool-clamping device, wherein a testing device is provided for testing the clamping state of the tool, the testing device having precisely one sensor head for sensory detection. To improve the precision, the sensor head is arranged at a fixed position on the stator unit in such a manner that it measures the distance to an end-side part of the spindle head rotating relative to the sensor head, wherein the testing device is designed to record a temporal/position-related sequence of at least two distance values and/or of at least two successive series of in each case at least two distance values, in order to determine an axial run-out error.