Provided is a forming system that expands and deforms a metal material to perform forming, the forming system including: a forming device that performs the forming; and at least one transport device that transports the metal material, in which the transport device transports the metal material to the forming device in a held state, in a case where a pretreatment device that performs pretreatment for the forming is present, the transport device transports the metal material to the pretreatment device in a held state, and during a period from a transport process in which the metal material is transported to any of devices by the transport device to a treatment process performed by any of the devices, at least one of the transport device and any of the devices continues holding the metal material.

An apparatus for marking a component by applying readable identifying information is provided. The identifying information has at least one identifying feature, in particular an identifying symbol. The apparatus includes a detection device which is designed to detect, on the basis of an eddy current measurement, identifying information applied or to be applied to a component by way of the apparatus.

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.

Provided is a can with a shoulder portion decorated in a novel way. A can includes: a trunk portion; a mouth portion smaller in diameter than the trunk portion; and a shoulder portion provided between the trunk portion and the mouth portion, gradually decreasing in diameter from the side of the trunk portion toward the side of the mouth portion, and having a printed layer and a coating film respectively formed by printing and coating. The shoulder portion includes: a straight portion having an inclined cross-sectional shape along a can axis C; a lower curved portion that is a curved portion connecting the straight portion and the trunk portion; an upper curved portion that is a curved portion connecting the straight portion and the mouth portion; and an embossed portion provided only in the straight portion among the straight portion, the lower curved portion, and the upper curved portion.

A method and a system for handling slender bodies in a semi-finished production plant includes a cutting station separating slender bodies from a continuous wire, a finishing station of the head ends of the slender bodies, a dimensional verification station downstream of the finishing station, and transporting equipment transporting the slender bodies between stations. At or upstream of the cutting station a marking unit applies a reference marking on the slender bodies, which working identifies an original attitude including angular position. The transporting equipment includes gripping and locking assembly, locking at least the angular position of the reference mark to a relative reference system of the transport equipment. Upstream of the finishing station is a detecting and storing unit for data of the angular position to the relative reference system. A unit determines the original attitude of the slender bodies using the data in the dimensional verification station.

A method for marking a wordpieces and workpiece are disclosed. In an embodiment the method includes applying an identification to a blank in places and after applying the identification to the blank, deforming the blank to form a metal body, wherein deforming the blank comprises rolling so that a thickness of the blank changes more strongly than a width of the blank when the metal body is formed, wherein the identification remains on the metal body at least until after deforming the blank and is not destroyed by deforming the blank, and wherein the identification, both to the blank and to the metal body, has at least one of a difference in reflection or a difference in remission and an albedo difference of at least 15 percentage points in at least part of at least one of a near ultraviolet spectral region, a visible spectral region or a near-infrared spectral region.

A machine tool for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, has a punching device and a laser processing device. The punching device comprises a punch-side positioning device by means of which a punching tool component of a punching tool can be positioned in a definable position along an operating stroke axis of the punching device. The laser processing device has a laser processing unit and a laser accessory unit. The laser accessory unit can be positioned by means of an accessory unit positioning device with an activation movement in an operating position which can be defined by means of the punch-side positioning device. In the context of a method for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, which method is carried out using the above machine tool, the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by means of the punch-side positioning device.

A device for producing a spring wire includes a wire production apparatus which is designed such that a spring wire can be produced from a raw material, in particular by drawing; a checking unit which is designed such that the spring wire can be checked for flaws, in particular material flaws and surface flaws; and a laser marking unit which is designed such that defective regions of the spring wire, in particular regions of the spring wire having material and surface flaws, can be marked with a laser marking such that part of the surface of the spring wire can be removed or part of the surface of the spring wire can be tempered in such a manner that the color of the surface of the spring wire is changed in this part. The wire production apparatus is designed such that the spring wire can be guided past the checking unit and past the laser marking unit.

A fastener assembly includes an elongated fastener body with a head end part. A propelling member supported on the fastener body, wherein the propelling member has a lengthened shape, wherein a portion of the lengthened shape extends around the head end part of the fastener body. A method of propelling the fastener assembly is also provided.

A marking device performs a marking process onto a long object. The marking device includes a driving source and a marking unit that performs a circular motion in accordance with a driving force supplied from the driving source. While the long object is being transferred, marks are applied onto the long object in accordance with the circular motion of the marking unit. An extent of interference by the marking unit to the transfer of the long object is reduced, thus facilitating higher speed transfer of the long object.