Apparatus and methods thereof used to clamp and secure workpieces of varying shapes and dimensions into position for welding, machining, and other fabrication activities. A plurality of opposing clamping assemblies attached to the clamping table operate to move and orient separate workpieces into a desired assembly position. The oriented workpieces are then clamped and held in a fixed position for welding, machining, or other fabrication activities.

A robotic tool changer for machining center includes a drive mechanism, a first motor, and a rotary seat which are mounted on a body. The drive mechanism includes a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, and a linkage member. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are arranged in parallel. The first swing arm is connected to the first rotating shaft while the second swing arm is connected to the second rotating shaft. Two ends of the linkage member are pivotally connected to the first swing arm and the second swing arm respectively. An end of the second rotating shaft is fixed to the rotary seat. Thereby, when the first motor drives the first rotating shaft to rotate, the rotary seat is driven to turn over. Thereby, with the configuration of the first motor and the drive mechanism, the hydraulic oil leakage and the environmentally unfriendly subsequent treatment of the hydraulic oil when the hydraulic cylinder is used as a power source can be improved.

A machine tool includes a lower tool post for holding a cutting tool, a tool main spindle for holding a cutting tool, a storage unit capable of storing the cutting tool, an exchange mechanism for exchanging the cutting tools between the tool main spindle and the storage unit, an inside robot for exchanging the cutting tools between the lower tool post and the tool main spindle, and a controller. The controller performs control such that the cutting tools are exchanged between the lower tool post and the storage unit via the inside robot, the tool main spindle, and the exchange mechanism.

The present disclosure relates to a device for attaching and detaching tools in a magazine, and more particularly, to a device for attaching and detaching tools in a magazine of a machine tool, the device being capable of attaching or detaching a tool having directionality to or from each gripper of the magazine of the machine tool while accurately adjusting a fixed position of the tool.

A tool magazine has been developed, in which the tool rack includes a gripper into which the holder for the tool that keeps the cutting part standing and facing upward is to be fitted from above, the gripper has a ring-shaped inner circumferential edge that has an opening in an approaching and leaving direction of the tool moved by the magazine arm, a pair of engagement portions are arranged on opposite ends of the inner circumferential edge and beyond a half turn of a horizontal section of the holder, and the magazine arm includes: a hand configured to grip the holder for the tool that keeps the cutting part standing and facing upward in a horizontal direction; approaching and leaving means configured to cause the hand to approach the gripper and leave therefrom; and elevator means configured to move the hand up and down.

A machine tool includes a workpiece holder, a tool holder holding working tools that includes a hob cutter used in a rough machining and a skiving cutter used in a finish machining, a tool magazine, a tool replacing device replacing one of the working tools mounted on the tool holder with the other of working tools housed in the tool magazine, a rough machining controlling section performing the rough machining on the workpiece, a tool measuring device measuring a position of a blade in a rotation direction of the skiving cutter, an angle correcting section correcting a rotation angle of the skiving cutter based on a result measured by the tool measuring device, and placing a tooth space formed in the workpiece and an edge tip of the blade in a position corresponding to each other, and a finish machining controlling section by which workpiece is finish machined.

A system includes a frame holding a part, a robot arm adjacent to the frame, a tool rack with a plurality of tools that are interchangeable, and a controller. The controller controls the robotic arm to automatically attach a forming tool from the tool rack to the tool holder; controls the robotic arm with the forming tool to form the part in a first geometry into a second geometry; and controls the robotic arm to automatically return the forming tool to the tool rack and detach the forming tool from the tool holder.

A system for treating a part with ultrasonic vibrations. The system includes a robotic arm, an ultrasonic end effector, and a controller. The robotic arm includes an actuator system that controls motion of the robotic arm and a tool holder. The ultrasonic end effector is configured to apply ultrasonic vibrations to a region of the part. The controller executes a program for controlling motion of the robotic arm for the ultrasonic end effector to apply ultrasonic vibrations to the region of the part; and controls the ultrasonic vibrations of the ultrasonic end effector based on a programmed ultrasonic parameter value for the region.

A system forms a part in an initial geometry (e.g., a sheet) into a desired geometry. The system includes a robot arm with an end effector, a model and a controller. The model receives an input geometry and an input parameter value indicating an interaction between the part and the end effector. The model determines an output geometry of the part based on the input geometry and the input parameter value. The controller receives the initial and desired geometries; applies the model to the initial geometry and to different input parameter values; based on output geometries of the model, determines a set of parameter values for controlling the robot arm; and controls the robot arm according to the determined set of parameter values to form the part into the desired geometry using the end effector.

There is provided a blade replacing apparatus for replacing a cutting blade. The blade replacing apparatus includes a blade storage unit including a movable storage section configured to store the cutting blade, a transporting unit including a holding unit configured to hold the cutting blade and a moving mechanism configured to move the holding unit, a camera configured to photograph the holding unit, and a control unit including an operation control section configured to control operation of the blade storage unit and the transporting unit and a position registration section in which positions of the storage section and the holding unit. The storage section includes a first mark portion photographable by the camera, and the holding unit includes a second mark portion photographable by the camera.