The subject of the invention is a tool gripping device for gripping a bending tool with a robot, the cylindrical enclosure of which is secured to the base plate and equipped with a compressed air connection, while a cylinder head equipped with a compressed air connection is secured to the end of the enclosure opposite the base plate. A clamping element movable with compressed air is arranged in the enclosure, with the conical end of the clamping element extending out of the enclosure through the aperture of the cylinder head. A gripper is led through the hole drilled through the clamping element, the clamp shank of which is secured to the base plate, with a support head fixed eccentrically to the end of the grip stem extending out of the clamping element.

A bending machine for sheet metal comprises a bending assembly (2) provided with a tool holder crosspiece (3) which is mobile and supports a set (20) of bending tools (40, 41, 42, 43, 44) which are aligned, and mutually positionable, along a first longitudinal direction (A) so as to form predetermined compositions (C1, C2, C3, C4) of bending tools suitable to bend a workpiece (50) according to respective defined bending lines; the bending assembly (2) comprises a moving assembly (5, 6) to move the bending tools (40, 41, 42, 43, 44) along the crosspiece (3), the set (20) of bending tools comprises, arranged adjacent and in sequence starting from an end (3a) of said crosspiece (3): four first bending tools (41) having a width of X+p, one second bending tool (42) having a width of X+2.Math.p, one third bending tool (43) having a width of X+3.Math.p, one basic bending tool (40) having a width of X, three third bending tools (43), one fourth bending tool (44) having a width of X+4.Math.p, two basic bending tools (40), one first bending tool (41), one second bending tool (42), a further set (21) of basic bending tools (40), wherein X is a basic width in mm of said basic bending tool (40) comprised between 30 mm and 70 mm, and p is a step between two lengths of subsequent tool compositions (C1, C2, C3, C4), comprised between 5 mm and 20 mm; the combination of one or more adjacent tools (40, 41, 42, 43, 44) of said set (20) of bending tools allows obtaining bends having all the lengths starting from a minimum bending length equal to said basic width (X) with said step (p).

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).

The invention relates to a tool changing device (1) for a forming press (2), in particular a press brake, comprising at least one tool magazine (3, 4) and at least one transfer device (5, 6) for the transfer of the forming tools (7, 8) of the at least one tool magazine (3, 4), which are storable in the at least one tool magazine (3, 4), from the at least one tool magazine (3, 4) to the forming press (2) and in the reverse direction, wherein the at least one transfer device (5, 6) has a drivable thrust chain (9, 10) for the transmission of compressive and tensile forces.

The invention relates to a loading method for a machine tool (12), especially for a bending machine, having a tool-transfer device (1), a tool holder (17) of the machine tool (12), and a tool rack (13), wherein the tool holder (17) and the tool rack (13) are connected via a guide rail (4), and the tool-transfer device (1) has a magnetic retaining device (5). The tool-transfer device (1) is moved to a machining tool (18), which is arranged in a pick-up position (20) in a tool holder (17) or in a tool rack (13). The machining tool (18) is picked up and retained by means of a magnetic retaining device (5) of the tool-transfer device (1) and moved along the guide track (4) to a deposition position (21). There the machining tool (18) is deposited by deactivation of the magnetic retaining force (22). The magnetic retaining device (5) has an electromagnet (6) having an electronic activating device (7) wherein, upon deactivation of the magnetic retaining force (22), a demagnetization is performed by the activating device (7).

Device and method for positioning of a bending tool (1) by means of an electromagnet (2) that can be displaced along a magnetic guide,

which bending tool (1) is held on a tool holder (4) by a retaining carriage (3) that can be displaced in a direction of movement along a retaining-carriage guide and which bending tool (1) comprises a magnet holder (5) of a magnetizable material, wherein an adjustable magnetic force acts between the electromagnet and the magnet holder (5).

The invention relates to a tool handling system (1) for removing or inserting a bending tool (2) in a tool mounting (3), comprising a bending tool (2) having a gripping recess (16) and a locking device (7) that cooperates with the tool mounting (3), the locking device being deactivatable by an actuating element (10) which is arranged in the gripping recess (16) and is accessible therein, and further comprising a gripper (11) with a gripper base body (12), comprising a first gripper finger (14) arranged on the gripper base body and at least a second gripper finger (15) which is adjustable on the gripper base body (12) by means of an articulation (20). The invention is characterized in that the first gripper finger (14), when positioned in the gripping recess (16), and the adjustable second gripper finger (15), when positioned in a release position, do not contact the actuating element (10) and that the adjustable second gripper finger (15) contacts the actuating element (10) in a gripping position.

A tool-changing unit for a production plant for forming sheet metal using a bending operation. The tool-changing unit includes a tool-holding device having a carrier body and a number n of tool-holding modules arranged directly next to one another and held on the carrier body. Each one of the tool-holding modules includes a first coupler and a first actuating device cooperating therewith as a component of a coupling device, wherein the first coupler can be brought into coupling engagement and out of coupling engagement with an individual clamping jaw of a clamping jaw set. Moreover, a production plant has the tool-changing unit and the clamping jaw a method changes tools.

In a tool storing device handling a tool mounting stocker in which a punch and a die of a press brake are mounted in one stocker with rear surfaces facing each other, each of the stockers is supported on both sides by endless belts having one driving shaft, and the endless belts are circulated so that each of the supported stockers does not protrude to a worker side, whereby a position of a path line of the appropriate one of the stockers can be freely positioned at a position of the path line PL of a tool holder on the press brake side. This enables rapid and easy tool replacement by a bending robot by storing not only the tool made of the punch and the die but also the hand for the robot together.