A vacuum rotary knife is fluidly connectable to a vacuum source conduit. The rotary knife includes an annular blade and a knife head. The knife head supports the blade for rotation about a rotational axis. The knife head presents a vacuum port fluidly connectable to the conduit. The vacuum port is spaced from the blade such that the knife head defines a suction pathway extending between the blade and the vacuum port.

Multi-adaptive fast loading attached air-cooled dust removal equipment is disclosed. The equipment is mainly composed of five parts: a spindle clamping mechanism, a link mechanism, a bearing connecting mechanism, an axial telescopic mechanism and a dust treatment mechanism. The equipment is connected with a tool holder through an axial connecting mechanism and installed on a machine tool. The axial telescopic mechanism forms a cavity with a processing surface, the gas flow generated by a negative pressure vacuum cleaner forms negative pressure in the cavity, and the telescopic mechanism is fixed to a machine tool spindle housing through the link mechanism to prevent the rotation of the spindle from driving the equipment to rotate and interfere with a workpiece, finally realizing rapid collection and treatment of chips.

An automated sheet material cutting and handling system for producing sheet material articles having a planar shape comprises a cutting surface with a suction hold-down, a suction lifting apparatus, a robotic actuation system for moving the suction lifting apparatus, and a control system for controlling the operation of the cutting device and the suction lifting apparatus. The suction lifting apparatus comprises a suction lifting head including a suction lifting portion comprising a suction lifting plate for applying suction through a plurality of holes in the plate. The control system is configured to operate the cutting device to make at least one cut through the planiform blanks. A resiliently compressible template is adhered to the suction lifting plate. Also, methods.

A method for collecting, from a cut panel for obtaining predetermined articles, the articles and scraps generated by the cutting of the panel comprising following steps: making available a cut panel (P) in which predetermined articles (A) and scraps (S) are defined; having available an electronic processor; having available at least a cutting file in which the dimensions, positioning and orientation of the articles (A) and scraps (S) are defined; memorising the cutting file in the electronic processor; positioning the cut panel (P) on a support of a first station; removing, in accordance with the indications of the cutting file, at least one scrap (S) at a time from the cut panel (P) by separating the adjacent cut articles and/or scraps, without altering the orientation and mutual positioning of both thereof, with a subsequent transfer of the at least a scrap (S) into a scrap collecting station.

During an assembly process for an aircraft, segments of the fuselage are fabricated separately prior to joining the segments together to form the complete fuselage. In order to ensure that abutting ends of the segments mate together correctly, a machining process is performed along the edges of the segments at their ends. One embodiment comprises a trim-tool assembly for machining proximate to an edge of a workpiece. The trim-tool assembly includes an indexing cart configured to mount to a track secured to a surface of the workpiece, where a setting on the indexing cart varies a distance between a centerline of the track and the edge of the workpiece. The trim-tool assembly further includes a tool cart configured to mount to and translate along the track, where the tool cart includes a process tool that performs a machining process on the workpiece at a fixed distance from the centerline of the track.

A deburring apparatus includes (among other components) a frame and an elongated flat element connected to the frame. Rollers are adapted to support and rotate a vacuum belt around the apparatus. A perforation device is positioned and adapted to make perforations in the vacuum belt as the vacuum belt is rotated by the rollers. Making the perforations in the vacuum belt causes debris to remain in at least one of the perforations. The elongated flat element is positioned to contact the debris in the perforations.

A pruning system includes a cutting head comprising upper and lower cutting rings positioned along a bottom portion of one or more tubes. At least one cutting ring is adapted to rotate in a circular motion, while the other cutting ring may be adapted to remain stationary. A vacuum may be applied to suction target plant material, and the cutting head may be lowered toward the target plant material. As adjacent blades from the upper and lower cutting rings are separated in an open position, plant material may be collected in the opening defined by the adjacent blades. As the blades converge, the opening may close, and plant material collected in the opening may be severed from the plant. System variables, may be adjusted to accommodate different types of plant material. The pruning system may be used with a vision system to remove materials from plant beds in a field.

A perforating apparatus and method includes a longitudinal cylinder axis about which a cylinder rotates. At least one shaped anvil bead is disposed on the cylinder. The cylinder including an anvil block and an anvil bead form a cavity. The cavity may be used to control the debris produced during the perforating process. A blade is disposed on a support to cooperate in contacting relationship with the anvil bead. A web is perforated as the web passes between the rotating cylinder and the support and the blade operatively engages with the anvil bead. The debris may be controlled by being drawn into the cavity prior to the point where the blade engages the anvil and, subsequently, being expelled after the point where the blade engages the anvil bead.

A perforating apparatus and method includes a longitudinal cylinder axis about which a cylinder rotates. At least one shaped anvil bead is disposed on the cylinder. The cylinder including an anvil block and an anvil bead form a cavity. The cavity may be used to control the debris produced during the perforating process. A blade is disposed on a support to cooperate in contacting relationship with the anvil bead. A web is perforated as the web passes between the rotating cylinder and the support and the blade operatively engages with the anvil bead. The debris may be controlled by being drawn into the cavity prior to the point where the blade engages the anvil and, subsequently, being expelled after the point where the blade engages the anvil bead.

A longitudinal cutting device with a cutting mechanism, which is arranged between an infeed and a delivery and has rotary cutters movable transverse to the transport direction, comprises transport devices that are arranged on the knife receptacles of these rotary cutters and bridge the region of the cutting mechanism with a conveying effect.