A production installation for producing workpieces from sheet metal by reshaping includes a bending machine, a support table defining a support plane, and a manipulation device having a support arrangement and a holding arrangement. The holding arrangement has interacting upper and lower holding units. The support arrangement has a separate upper support unit and a separate lower support unit, wherein the upper holding unit is arranged on the upper support unit, and the lower holding unit is arranged on the lower support unit. In an open insertion position of the manipulation device for the sheet metal to be accommodated therein, and in a loading region in front of the bending machine, the upper support unit, together with the upper holding unit, is arranged entirely above the support plane, and the lower support unit, together with the lower holding unit, is arranged entirely below the support plane.

A gripping device, in particular for loading/unloading apparatuses, includes: a main body; at least one first and a second articulated structure; at least one first and a second gripping head, respectively mounted on the first and second articulated; a first motorised member, mounted on the main body and active on the first articulated structure to modify the position of the first gripping head with respect to the main body; a second motorised member, mounted on the main body and active on the second articulated structure to modify the position of the second gripping head with respect to the main body. Each of the first the second articulated structures has: a first arm hinged to the main body; a second arm hinged to the main body; a rod, hinged to the first arm and to the second arm.

A gripping device, in particular for loading/unloading apparatuses, includes: a main body; at least one first and a second articulated structure; at least one first and a second gripping head, respectively mounted on the first and second articulated; a first motorised member, mounted on the main body and active on the first articulated structure to modify the position of the first gripping head with respect to the main body; a second motorised member, mounted on the main body and active on the second articulated structure to modify the position of the second gripping head with respect to the main body. Each of the first the second articulated structures has: a first arm hinged to the main body; a second arm hinged to the main body; a rod, hinged to the first arm and to the second arm.

A workpiece conveying system includes a disposition component, a first imaging component, a first position sensor, a conveyor, a first removal component, and a position adjuster. A plurality of workpieces are disposable on the disposition component. The first imaging captures an image of workpieces on the disposition component. The first position sensor senses a position of a workpiece to be removed from the disposition component based on the captured image. The conveyor conveys the workpiece removed from the disposition component. The first removal component removes from the disposition component a workpiece whose position has been sensed and places the workpiece on the conveyor. The position adjuster adjusts a position of the workpiece placed on the conveyor.

The invention relates to a transport apparatus (10) for the collision-free loading and unloading of a material machining unit (1) with a workpiece (5) comprising a guide apparatus (60), a plurality of transport devices (15, 16, 17, 18), wherein one of the transport devices (15) is arranged on a first transport device level (20), as well as another transport device (16) being arranged on another transport device level (21). A multifunctional tooling apparatus (25) for transporting and/or machining the workpiece (5) or the workpiece part is arranged on the transport device (15). Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for loading and unloading the material machining unit (1) using such a transport apparatus (10), as well as a computer program product for loading and unloading according to this method and using such a transport device (10).

A workpiece conveying system includes a disposition component, a first imaging component, a first position sensor, a conveyor, a first removal component, and a position adjuster. A plurality of workpieces are disposable on the disposition component. The first imaging captures an image of workpieces on the disposition component. The first position sensor senses a position of a workpiece to be removed from the disposition component based on the captured image. The conveyor conveys the workpiece removed from the disposition component. The first removal component removes from the disposition component a workpiece whose position has been sensed and places the workpiece on the conveyor. The position adjuster adjusts a position of the workpiece placed on the conveyor.

A centering device (1) for centering flat workpieces (700-706) comprises a centering station (100) having at least a first and a second gripping device (300, 301) for gripping the workpiece (700-706), and conveying means for conveying workpieces (700-706) in a conveying direction to the centering station (100). The first and the second gripping device (300, 301) can each be moved horizontally by a first and a second guiding device (200, 201), respectively, and the first and the second gripping device (300, 301) can rotate freely about an axis.

An embossing system designed to mark metal marker plates. The embossing system includes a feeder system that presents a marker plate, a drive sub assembly secured to the feeder system, and a gripper system that grips the marker plate from the feeder system. The feeder system has a fixed side wall secured to a base plate and a moveable side wall positioned a distance from the fixed side wall. Marker plate guides are secured to the side walls for providing support to a stack of marker plates positioned in the feeder system. Adjustable feed gates are secured to the sidewalls to accommodate adjustments for maker plate thickness variations.

An embossing system designed to mark metal marker plates. The embossing system includes a feeder system that presents a marker plate, a drive sub assembly secured to the feeder system, and a gripper system that grips the marker plate from the feeder system. The feeder system has a fixed side wall secured to a base plate and a moveable side wall positioned a distance from the fixed side wall. Marker plate guides are secured to the side walls for providing support to a stack of marker plates positioned in the feeder system. Adjustable feed gates are secured to the sidewalls to accommodate adjustments for maker plate thickness variations.

A feeder for conveying a workpiece, in particular strip material, in a conveying direction, comprises at least one first pair of side support modules; a base support module arranged between the side support modules; and at least one conveying module; wherein the side support modules are detachably connected to the base support module transversely to the conveying direction to form a U-shaped support structure of the feeder along the conveying direction; wherein the conveying module is arranged on the support structure movably in the conveying direction.