The invention relates to a bending tool (1) comprising a tool body (2) having an upper (3) and an opposite lower end region (4), wherein an attachment extension (5) is configured in the upper end region (3), and a working tip (6) is configured in the lower end region (4). A tool identification marker (11) is disposed in the tool body (2), and a communication interface (9) is disposed in the attachment extension (5) on at least one side surface (8) and not projecting beyond it, which interface is connected with the tool identification marker (11) by way of a connection line (10). An electronics unit (12) is disposed in the tool body (2). A voltage supply contact (14) that is electrically insulated relative to the tool body (2) is is disposed on the attachment extension (5), which contact is connected with a voltage supply module (15) of the electronics unit (12). Furthermore, a change-over switch (16) is disposed in the connection line (10), wherein in a first switching position, the tool identification marker (11) is connected with the communication interface (9), and in a second switching position of the change-over switch (16), the electronics unit (12) is connected with the communication interface (9).

The invention relates to a tool storage system (32) as well as to a production facility (1) for free-form bending of workpieces (2) made from a metal sheet, by means of a bending press (3), comprising a tool storage unit (30), a tool manipulation unit (31), and a provisioning unit (55) having provisioning rails (56, 57). The tool storage unit (30) has an upper and lower storage rail (34, 35), which are disposed spaced apart from one another at a vertical distance, as well as locally fixed in place relative to one another. The tool manipulation unit (31) has tool manipulation devices (36, 37), wherein each of the same comprises a working rail (38, 42), an auxiliary rail (39, 43), a drawing-in device (40, 44), as well as a pushing-out device (41, 45). Each of the tool manipulation devices (36, 37) can be displaced laterally next to the storage rails (34, 35), along a longitudinal guide arrangement (46, 47). Furthermore, the invention also comprises a method for manipulation of at least one bending tool (4) in such a tool storage system (32).

A bending machine for metal sheets includes a punching arrangement that supports upper bending tools, a die arrangement that supports lower bending tools, and a back gauge unit movable inside an operating area and arranged to position a workpiece. The back gauge unit has a hooking element to engage at least one lower bending tool to move it along the bending direction. The lower bending tools include a set of side lower bending tools that are positionable in a non-operative configuration outside the operating area and unreachable by the back gauge unit. The side lower bending tools are connectable to one another to form a group selectable in number. At least one of the side lower bending tools of the group is positioned in the non-operative configuration inside the operating area to be engaged by the hooking element and movable along the bending direction together with the group.

The invention relates to a bending press (1) and/or feeding device (2) for feeding a bending press (1) with bending tools (5, 6), comprising: at least one tool holder (3, 4; 13, 14) with a rail (7) comprising an inner profile (8) for receiving and displacing a bending tool (5, 6); and at least one transfer device (15) which can be driven by a drive (21) for displacing a bending tool (5, 6) inside the tool holder (3, 4; 13, 14) and/or between the tool holder (13, 14) of the feeding device (2) and a tool holder (3, 4) of a bending press (1),
and the transfer device (15) comprises a releasable coupling (18) for connecting a bending tool (5, 6), said transfer device (15) being guided in the rail (7) of the tool holder (3, 4; 13, 14) and the active area of the coupling (18) is arranged at least partially inside the rail (7).

A tool storage device is disposed on a side of a press brake. In the tool storage device, a lower tool holder is lifted up from lower tool holder support members, is moved forward or backward, and both end sides in a left-and-right direction of the lower tool holder are lowered after being passed through recessed portions formed on the lower tool holder support members (step (a)). The lowered lower tool holder is conveyed forward, and is positioned to a same height as a height of a lower tool mounting portion in a lower table (step (b)). The lower tool held in the lower tool holder is transferred to the lower tool mounting portion by a tool replacement device, and is mounted on the lower table (step (c)). The lower tool mounted on the lower table is returned into the tool storage device (step (d)).

A sheet metal bending machine comprises main bending tool assembly (2; 6) that extends along a longitudinal direction (A) and is movable so as to bend a workpiece (50), a guide (3) associated and parallel to the main bending tool assembly (2; 6), extending through a working zone (W) of the bending machine (1) and sideways protruding from the latter at least with a first end portion (4), and shuttles (21, 22, 23) slidably mounted on said guide (3) and supporting at least one auxiliary tool (41, 42) to be associated with the main bending tool assembly (2; 6) in order to execute partial bends on the workpiece (50); the shuttles (21, 22, 23) are movable along the longitudinal direction (A) between a first active position (P1), in which the shuttle (21, 22, 23) are inside the working zone (W) and the auxiliary tool (41, 42) is mounted on the main bending tool assembly (2; 6), and a first inactive position (R1), in which the shuttle (21, 22, 23) are outside the working zone (W) and positioned at the first end portion (4) of the guide (3); the shuttle comprise a first set (11) of shuttles (21, 22, 23), each shuttle (21, 22, 23) carrying a respective auxiliary tool (41, 42), said shuttles (21, 22, 23) being mutually connectable to form a first shuttle convoy (13) having a selectable number of shuttles (21, 22, 23); the first shuttle convoy (13) is movable between said first inactive position (R1) and said first active position (P1) in order to mount a defined composition of auxiliary tools (41, 42) on the main bending tool assembly (2; 6).

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a bending press for bending metal sheets, having a top beam and a lower beam, as well as two drawers. The drawers are arranged at both sides of the lower beam as well as within the bending press housing itself and are designed to selectively house bending tools and other parts within the drawers.

The invention relates to a bending tool storage device (1) for storing bending tools (2), comprising at least one storage unit (3), which comprises an outer tool storage (4) which is ring-shaped or partial-ring-shaped and has a plurality of guide rails (14) for holding and guiding bending tools (2), characterized in that the storage unit (3) comprises at least one inner tool storage (5, 6) which is arranged inside the outer tool storage (4) and has a plurality of guide rails (15, 16) for holding and guiding bending tools (2), and in that the outer tool storage (4) and the inner tool storage (5, 6) are rotatable relative to one another, wherein, in different positions of relative rotation between outer tool storage (4) and inner tool storage (5), at least one guide rail (14) of the outer tool storage (4) is in each case in aligned orientation with another guide rail (15, 16) of the inner tool storage (5, 6).

The invention relates to a bending tool storage device (1) for storing bending tools (2), comprising: a preferably shelf-type rack (3) on which a plurality of storage locations (4) for bending tools (2) are arranged, at least one supply path (10), preferably in the form of a tool guide (11), for issuing and/or retrieving bending tools (2), and at least one first transfer device (5) for transferring bending tools (2) between the storage locations (4) and a transfer point (6), characterized in that the bending tool storage device (1) comprises, between the transfer point (6) and the supply path (10), a rotating installation (7) for rotating the bending tools (2).

The invention relates to a bending press (1) and/or a loading device (2) for loading a bending press (1) with bending tools (5, 6), comprising: at least one tool holder (3, 4; 13, 14) with a rail (7) having an inner profile (8) for receiving and displacing a bending tool (5, 6), at least one internal wall (9) of the rail (7) forming a guide structure (10) extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail (7); and at least one transfer device (15) drivable by a drive (21) for displacing a bending tool (5, 6) within the tool holder (3, 4; 13, 14) and/or between the tool holder (13, 14) of the loading device (2) and a tool holder (3, 4) of a bending press (1), wherein at least one portion of the transfer device (15) is guided by the guide structure (10) formed in the rail (7).