A die button for the punching in and fastening of a fastener element having a piercing section to a planar workpiece, in particular a sheet metal part. The die button includes a jacket. Also included is a die plunger movably arranged in the jacket. Further included is a biasing device for pressing the plunger against the workpiece when the workpiece is supported on the jacket with a pressing force made available by the biasing device and selected such that the die plunger first moves when a slug has been detached from the workpiece by the piercing section of the fastener element.

A joining tool unit including a hold-down device with a movable tool and a tool counter element. The hold-down device together with the movable tool and the tool counter element are provided opposite each other. A workpiece can be positioned between the hold-down device and the tool counter element in the arranged state. The movable tool and the tool counter element interact in order to form a joint connection. A light-guiding system is formed on the hold-down device, to conduct a light beam in the direction of a joint location of the workpiece when the workpiece is arranged on the joining tool unit. A flow channel for a fluid is defined along a section of the light beam up to a workpiece-side end of the hold-down device.

A device for installing a self-attaching fastener on a substrate. The device includes a punch having an inner pin and an outer pin. The inner and outer pins are coaxial and translatable along an axis. In a first state of the punch, the inner pin is movable independently of the outer pin, and in a second state of the punch, the inner and outer pins are movable concurrently. The device further includes a die having an engagement surface configured to receive and support the substrate thereon, In a first operable stage of the punch, the punch is in the first state and configured to pierce a through-hole in the substrate. In a second operable stage of the punch, the punch is in the second state and configured to attach the self-attaching fastener to the substrate.

A die for a joining tool, in particular for clinching, with an anvil (4) forming the bottom (41) of a swage (50), and with a spring sleeve (3) which surrounds the anvil (4) and has a plurality of slits (32) extending in an axial direction (A), said slits (32) permitting a radial expansion of the spring sleeve (3), is characterized in that bushing (1) which is arranged between the anvil (4) and the spring sleeve (3) and which is provided, at its free end (17), with inserts (2) which surround the anvil (4) and are made of a harder material than the bushing (1).

A method for machining a plate-like workpiece with a processing machine includes forming a receptacle in the plate-like workpiece for an insert part and machining the receptacle based on one or both of an orientation at which the insert part is to be inserted into the receptacle and a side of the plate-like workpiece from which the insert part is to be inserted into the receptacle. The method further includes running a machining program to carry out the forming and the machining of the receptacle. A computer program product is provided to configure a programming system by which the machining program is generated.

A method of installing a push-in fastener includes the steps homing a floating tool assembly to a home position, the floating tool assembly carries a locating pin and a punch, releasing the floating tool assembly, positioning a workpiece at a target position, retrieving a fastener with the punch, engaging the workpiece with the locating pin which causes the floating tool assembly to move to a desired working position with respect to the workpiece, locking the floating tool assembly in the desired working position, retracting the locating pin, and advancing the punch to install the fastener in the workpiece.

A joining tool unit including a hold-down device, a linearly movable tool, and a tool counter element. The hold-down device and the tool counter element are provided opposite each other, a workpiece lies on the tool counter element when the workpiece is arranged on the joining tool unit, and the hold-down device is arranged to be supported on a surface of the workpiece. The hold-down device has a light-guiding system, and the light-guiding system is designed to guide a light beam of a light in the direction of a joint location of the workpiece when the workpiece is arranged on the joining tool unit. The light-guiding system is provided on the hold-down device such that the light beam is irradiated onto the joint location solely at an angle which is greater than 0 relative to a movement axis of the linearly movable tool.

A fastener clinching press includes a frame that supports a die having a hole that cooperates with the fastener to produce a slug from the workpiece. A ram has a head assembly that engages the fastener. A first sensor determines a ram position relative to the die. A pin is slidably supported within the head assembly and extends out of the head assembly to a tip that locates a fastener relative to the die. The pin is movable between multiple pin positions including a slug-eject position. A second sensor is arranged in the head assembly and is operatively connected to the pin. The sensor monitors the multiple pin positions that relate to a pin travel distance signature. A controller is in communication with the first and second sensors and determines an outcome of the clinching operation based upon the ram position and the pin travel distance signature.

A riveted joint in which a rivet foot of a rivet element is driven into a component with a setting force, in particular by spreading the rivet foot. The rivet foot has a reduced cross-section in the still undeformed state and has an expanded cross-section in the driven-in state. The rivet foot is designed as a bistable spring portion that has two equilibrium states, namely the undeformed cross-section-reduced state and an expanded spread state. As a result of the setting force being applied, the rivet element changes from the undeformed state to the spread state, in which the rivet foot is spread with an expanded cross-section in the component, in particular without the build-up of a springback force that biases the rivet element towards the undeformed state.

The invention relates to a processing clamp for machining and/or processing of workpieces with large processing forces, including a clamp body with a first clamp arm and a second clamp arm and at least a tool with a first tool part and a second tool part which are movable relative to each other and define a working region. The first tool part is arranged to be traversable along a vertical tool axis on the first clamp arm to close the working region and the second tool part is arranged on the second clamp arm to form a workpiece abutment for at least one workpiece. The first tool part is adjustable from a starting position into a working position by an adjustment device. An actuating device is provided for applying a high processing power acting along the tool axis to the first tool part after the adjustment into the working position by the adjustment device.