A forming die for forming a part is disclosed. The forming die includes a lower forming die portion comprising a lower pin receiving opening for receiving a lower portion of a removable securing pin that secures a lower surface of a part to be formed to the lower forming die; and an upper forming die portion, positionable above the lower forming die portion, comprising an upper pin receiving opening for receiving an upper portion of the removable securing pin that secures an upper surface of the part to be formed to the upper forming die portion.

A workpiece transport unit including a pair of arms, an opening/closing mechanism configured to open and close the pair of arms in a horizontal direction, a pair of first placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a first workpiece to be placed thereon, and a pair of second placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a second workpiece to be placed thereon.

A plate material processing system includes a plate material processing machine and a loader. The plate material processing machine holds a front end portion of an unprocessed plate material by a work holder and moves the unprocessed plate material on a table forward, backward, leftward and rightward. The loader includes: a plate material attaching unit; and a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the plate material attaching unit on a predefined arc-shaped trajectory while maintaining the plate material attaching unit in a constant orientation as viewed in a planar manner. When the plate material attaching unit is at a foremost position, the work holder is positioned to the other side of the left and right sides relative to a processing head, away from the unprocessed plate material loading position side, thereby preventing the work holder and the plate material attaching unit from interfering with each other.

A plate material processing system includes a plate material processing machine and a loader. The plate material processing machine holds a front end portion of an unprocessed plate material by a work holder and moves the unprocessed plate material on a table forward, backward, leftward and rightward. The loader includes: a plate material attaching unit; and a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the plate material attaching unit on a predefined arc-shaped trajectory while maintaining the plate material attaching unit in a constant orientation as viewed in a planar manner. When the plate material attaching unit is at a foremost position, the work holder is positioned to the other side of the left and right sides relative to a processing head, away from the unprocessed plate material loading position side, thereby preventing the work holder and the plate material attaching unit from interfering with each other.

A staging assembly for a shell press assembly sheet feeder assembly is provided. The shell press assembly includes an infeed and the sheet feeder assembly. The sheet feeder assembly includes a feeder actuator. The feeder actuator has a first path and a second path. The staging assembly includes a staging assembly frame assembly. The staging assembly frame assembly defines a first sheet bay and a second sheet bay. The first sheet bay is structured to temporarily support a first number of material sheets. The second sheet bay structured to temporarily support a second number of material sheets.

A method for calculating an optimized trajectory with a simulation program and an optimization routine includes making available a trajectory and adjusting it to boundary conditions, implementing a loop having the steps of a provision of one first trajectory, a modification of a (further) trajectory and adjustment of the (further) trajectory on the basis of boundary conditions, using as the optimized trajectory a trajectory which has been made available on the basis of an extremal or predetermined parameter, and, after being calculated, making available the optimized trajectory to a control device in order to move a holder for a component part.

A method for calculating an optimized trajectory with a simulation program and an optimization routine includes making available a trajectory and adjusting it to boundary conditions, implementing a loop having the steps of a provision of one first trajectory, a modification of a (further) trajectory and adjustment of the (further) trajectory on the basis of boundary conditions, using as the optimized trajectory a trajectory which has been made available on the basis of an extremal or predetermined parameter, and, after being calculated, making available the optimized trajectory to a control device in order to move a holder for a component part.

A machine tool for processing a workpiece comprises a processing station which has a tool receiving member in which a processing tool for processing the workpiece can be introduced and replaced, a tool store which has at least one storage space for a processing tool, a tool handling device which can be moved by a controlled drive into a tool-transfer position, a movement unit which can move the workpiece and the tool store and which can be moved by a controlled drive into any of a setup position, a processing position, and a tool changing position, a control device for the drive of the tool handling device which can define the tool-transfer position of the tool handling device, and a control device for the drive of the movement unit which can define the setup position, the processing position, and the tool changing position of the movement unit.

Workpieces are unloaded from a workpiece support of a sheet metal workpiece processing apparatus by positioning a blank sheet metal workpiece over a processed workpiece supported on a workpiece support, with the blank workpiece releasably held by a workpiece loader, activating a workpiece fixing device to engage an edge of the processed workpiece, and performing a relative sweeping movement between the workpiece fixing device and the workpiece support whereby the engaged processed workpiece is prevented from remaining on the workpiece support and is thereby unloaded. The workpiece fixing device is moved relative to the processed workpiece while the blank sheet metal workpiece is positioned over the processed workpiece.

Workpieces are unloaded from a workpiece support of a sheet metal workpiece processing apparatus by positioning a blank sheet metal workpiece over a processed workpiece supported on a workpiece support, with the blank workpiece releasably held by a workpiece loader, activating a workpiece fixing device to engage an edge of the processed workpiece, and performing a relative sweeping movement between the workpiece fixing device and the workpiece support whereby the engaged processed workpiece is prevented from remaining on the workpiece support and is thereby unloaded. The workpiece fixing device is moved relative to the processed workpiece while the blank sheet metal workpiece is positioned over the processed workpiece.