The invention relates to a rotary indexing press for the production of green compacts from powder substances. The rotary indexing press is provided with an indexing plate equipped with a plurality of tool cavities assigned to a plurality of tool positions, with said tool positions being at a minimum used for the filling, compacting, and ejecting of workpieces, and with at least one cavity being assigned to each tool position, and wherein the indexing plate having a form-closed and/or force-dosed connection with the body of the machine during compacting. The invention moreover relates to a method for the production of green compacts from powder materials using a rotary indexing press.

An automated mold change system, for use with a concrete products machine of a type having a products forming section and a feedbox assembly section, includes a mold exchange assembly coupled to an underside of the feedbox assembly section and vertically moveable therewith, a mold transfer assembly on an opposed side of the products forming section from the feedbox assembly section, and mounts on the products forming section configured to retain a mold assembly thereon. A mold exchange path runs axially between the mold exchange assembly and the mounts on the products forming section and intersects a mold transfer path of the mold transfer assembly at a load-unload position, wherein the mold exchange assembly is configured to lift a mold off of the mounts and onto the mold transfer assembly at the load-unload position.

An apparatus includes a fixed assembly and a reciprocating assembly. The fixed assembly includes a hopper, a first gas manifold, and a dispensing chamber, and the reciprocating assembly includes a channel assembly defining a channel conduit, a shield plate vertically aligned therewith, and a second gas manifold. The reciprocating assembly may move, in relation to the fixed assembly, to a first position to enable the channel conduit to be filled with bulk compressible material from the hopper, a second position to enable compressible material to be pushed from the channel conduit to the dispensing conduit and to be compressed in the dispensing chamber according to a first gas directed through the channel conduit by the first gas manifold, and a third position to enable the compressed material to be pushed out of the dispensing conduit according to a second gas directed through the dispensing conduit by the second gas manifold.

A radial press has a plurality of press bodies arranged around a press axis which can be moved radially in relation to the press axis, and a drive unit for shifting the press bodies in the direction of or away from the press axis. The press bodies each have a main jaw and a pressing jaw, which is fixed interchangeably on the main jaw. The main jaws each comprise a radially inwardly arranged pressing-jaw-supporting surface and, adjacent to the latter in the circumferential direction, two side surfaces. The pressing jaws butt against the pressing-jaw-supporting surface of the associated main jaw and have a fixing protrusion, which projects from the abutment surface, enters into a mount provided on the main jaw and interacts with a locking device. Each main jaw has a recess on its supporting surface which extends from the mount and opens out on one of the side surfaces.

The system includes a cell framework for defining a manufacturing area. The system includes at least one workplace within the manufacturing area. The system includes at least one manufacturing component within the manufacturing area and configured to be movable along three axes in relation to the at least one workplace. The system includes a conveying mechanism configured to move a part into the at least one workplace to be worked on by the at least one manufacturing component.

A sheet material bending system includes a tool changing apparatus that changes tools between a press brake and a tool stocker. The tool stocker is arranged behind the press brake. To change tools from the front and rear of the tool stocker, the front and rear of the tool stocker are opened. The tool changing apparatus has a pivot that is movable in front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions and is rotatable around an axis extending in the up-down direction. A front end of the pivot is provided with tool holding units to hold tools.

A system (10) for tool changing in bending presses (20) comprising: a plurality of bending tools (30) each having a gripping shank (311, 321) configured to be clamped by a bending press (20) and a hook appendix (312,322) distinct from the gripping shank (311,321); a tool-holder bar (50) configured to sustain in a detachable way at least one bending tool (30) by means of the hook appendix (312, 322); and a robotized arm (70) configured to selectively grasp and move a bending tool (30), for loading/unloading a bending tool (30) on/from the tool-holder bar (50), and the tool-holder bar (50), for moving the tool-holder bar (50) nearer to/away from the bending press (20).

A stock lifter for metal forming dies includes a self-contained assembly. The assembly includes a guide pin that reciprocates within a base. A hardened end cap, which contacts the stock, is attached to the guide pin. A spring is located on the exterior surface of a portion of the base and surrounds the guide pin body. One end of the spring contacts a surface on the cap, while the other end of the spring contacts a surface on the base or an optional mounting flange that is attached above the base. Thus, the stock lifter assembly has a hardened cap for the stock to slide on and a larger, externally mounted spring that provides longer life for the stock lifter. The stock lifter assembly can be made of several different lengths and sizes by using longer or wider guide pins and springs.

A removable hot box is disclosed that includes a lower hot box portion, comprising: a lower housing comprising a plurality of lower clamping structures to clamp the lower housing to a press and locating structures to provide repeatable placing in the press; and a lower heating platen, received within the lower housing, wherein the lower housing or the lower heating platen comprises lower electrical connectors to provide a lower electrical connection to a heating system and lower cooling connectors to provide a lower cooling connection to a cooling system; and an upper hot box portion, positionable above the lower hot box portion and comprising: an upper housing comprising a plurality of upper clamping structures to clamp the upper housing to the press; an upper heating platen, received within the upper housing.

A thermoforming trim press has one or more connecting arms for driving a movable platen, each arm having a pivotal connection between two adjacent sections of each connecting arm which is normally locked during normal press operation whereby the movable platen is able to move further back from a normal retracted position to increase the available clearance when changing or maintaining tools mounted on the movable platen. The pivoting ability of the connecting arm sections also simplifies adjusting the stroke of the press. A counterweight may be driven by the crank pins to match the press stroke adjustments and to thereby correspond the movement of the counterweight to the movement of the movable platen.