A pneumatic device for transporting a substrate during a manufacturing operation is described. The pneumatic device can include multiple suction assemblies for securely coupling the substrate to the pneumatic device. The vertical position of the suction assemblies can be varied so that when vacuum is applied through the suction assemblies to the substrate, the substrate is in a bent configuration when secured to the pneumatic device. When the pneumatic device is used to lift the substrate off a stack of other substrates, the bending of the substrate reduces the surface area contact and likelihood of inadvertently removing additional substrates from the stack of substrates.

A sheet material adhesive agent application method includes first and second actions. The first action is performed sequentially for stacked multiple sheet materials. The first action is implemented by: taking out an uppermost one of the multiple sheet materials; transferring the taken-out sheet material to an adhesive agent application stage; and applying the adhesive agent to the transferred sheet material at the adhesive agent application stage. The second action is performed in advance to the first action, wherein the second action is implemented by setting an uppermost group of sheet materials so that each sheet material of the uppermost group has a predetermined curvature projecting upward. The first action is completed before the sheet material is restored to a state before the second action.

A method and a machine tool for processing workpieces is described, comprising a workpiece movement device and a workpiece support that supports both a workpiece during a processing operation and a workpiece remainder produced from the workpiece during the processing operation, wherein the workpiece support comprises a first support portion and an additional support portion, wherein the first support portion comprises a loading-side support portion arranged in a loading region of the machine tool, wherein the additional support portion is arranged to move relative to the loading-side support portion between the loading region and an unloading region of the machine tool, wherein the unloading region is offset in a horizontal direction from the loading region, wherein the loading-side support portion is arranged to move in a vertical direction between a loading level and a bypass level located above or below the loading level.

A method for removing a plate-shaped first workpiece from an upper side of a stack of plate-shaped further workpieces in a sequential direction of the further workpieces includes lifting the first workpiece using a gripper, and inserting a separating layer between a raised corner of the first workpiece and a second workpiece from the stack of further workpieces. The second workpiece is adjacent to the first workpiece. The method further includes holding down the stack of further workpieces by the separating layer, removing the first workpiece from the stack of further workpieces, and measuring a thickness of the first workpiece.

This hand system comprises: a suction pad that sucks a conductive workpiece by fluid effect; at least three electrodes that are arranged on the suction pad; and an electrical characteristics measuring device that measures the electrical characteristics of an electrical circuit formed by the contact between any two of the electrodes and the workpiece.

A feeding device includes a plurality of suction units, disposed above a conveyed medium stacked on a stacker, to attract the conveyed medium. At least one of the plurality of suction units includes a rotary fan including a board and a plurality of walls extending from the board; and a driver to rotate the rotary fan. The at least one of the plurality of suction units generates a vortex air with a side of the board with the plurality of walls directed to the conveyed medium. The at least one of the plurality of suction units being a suction unit generates a vortex air.

A device and a method for separating sheet material is provided. The separation of sheet material is not effected statically, but a suitable pick-up position and/or a suitable pick-up mechanism is selected for each sheet material piece, for example in dependence on the quality of a surface of the sheet material piece to be picked up, in order to pick up the sheet material piece from the sheet material stack and remove it from the same.

Described herein is a novel process for separating individual lubricated aluminum sheets from a stack of lubricated aluminum sheets as they enter a stamping press for fabrication. The process involves placing a lift underneath a stack of aluminum sheets and lifting the center upwards. This in turn causes the edges of the stack to bend downwards, creating a concave bending curvature facing the lift. The induced curvature is sufficient to provide the inter-sheet shear necessary to break the adhesion caused by the lubricant.

An apparatus of supplying a fuel cell stack material is provided. The apparatus includes a moving part in which a plurality of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) diffusing a gas fuel and supporting a catalyst layer are stacked and a cartridge having the moving part movably disposed therein. An adsorption pad is disposed above the cartridge to adsorb the plurality of gas diffusion layers and a nozzle part is configured to spray air above the plurality of gas diffusion layers to generate a lift on the plurality of gas diffusion layers.

A paper feeding apparatus includes: a paper feeder configured to feed out the uppermost paper included in a paper bundle; a blower configured to blow gas to a lateral side of the paper bundle; and a processor configured to reduce an amount of the gas blown to the lateral side when a predetermined specific condition is satisfied.