A tool unit includes a tool head, a motor and a switching drive for the head. The head has a first section with first blades and a second section with second blades. The second section is movable to and fro between a passive and an active position relative to the first section, the second blades being retracted in the passive position, and the second blades projecting axially beyond the first blades in the active position. The drive includes an electromagnet and an actuating armature made from magnetically attractable material and is arranged in the region of action of the electromagnet. The electromagnet is positioned between the head and the motor and is fastened to a housing part of the motor such that it cannot be rotated. The armature is connected fixedly to the second section. A gap remains between the electromagnet and the armature in the passive and active position.

A system for fixing a tooling bit to a tool having an axis of rotation for working the bit. The system includes: a bit box having a plurality of movable bit supports, each carrying a bit, each bit having a first working end and a second end; a bit holder having a first end securable to one end of the tool and a second end securable to the second end of each of the bits; and a reversible element for securing the bit to the bit holder. The bit has a locked state wherein the bit is engaged on the bit holder and is distanced from the bit support, and a released state wherein the bit is distanced from the bit holder and rests on the bit support.

A combined transfer and storage device for machining comprises a storage level, a transfer device, at least one machining interface, and a feeding interface. The storage level comprises two or more storages that are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction and having storage spaces for workpiece carriers, which are arranged one above the other for holding blanks or machined workpieces. The transfer device extends in the longitudinal direction. The machining interface is used for directly or mediately coupling with a machine tool. The feeding interface is accessible for a driverless transport vehicle. The transfer device accomplishes a workpiece transfer between the feeding interface, the storage level and the at least one machining interface. A manufacturing line is provided with a combined transfer and storage device and with at least one manufacturing system having at least one machine tool and a handling cell that is arranged between a machining interface of the combined transfer and storage device and the machine tool.

A manufacturing system for machining comprises a machine tool and a handling cell. The machine tool is arranged for multi-axis machining and includes a tool holder and a workpiece holder, which are movable relative to each other in at least three axes. The handling cell comprises a first interface to the machine tool, which is laterally coupled to the working space, a second interface for transfer purposes, a handling unit, and at least one buffer storage, wherein the handling unit is arranged for an automated workpiece change. A manufacturing line for machining comprises at least one manufacturing system and a combined transfer and storage device.

A tool changing system with rigidity improved belt moving mechanism includes a pedestal, a sliding base, a driving unit, a positioning belt, and a transmission belt. The sliding base is disposed on the pedestal, and reciprocatively moves along a linear direction. The driving unit is disposed on the sliding base. The positioning belt and the transmission belt are disposed on the pedestal and include a gear rack, respectively. A detouring section of the transmission belt is separated from the positioning belt, and transmissibly meshed with the driving wheel of the driving unit. When the driving wheel rotates, the detouring section is driven to continuously shift on the transmission belt, and the sliding base is simultaneously driven to slide on the pedestal along the linear direction. Thus, a combination of the positioning belt and the transmission belt achieves an improved rigidity.

A separable robotic interface includes a carrier portion, configured to attach to a free end of a robotic arm, and a probe portion, configured to be attached to a toolhead. The carrier portion includes a spring-loaded plug, coaxial with and arranged to slide lengthwise within the carrier portion, one or more ball bearings, arranged within holes of the carrier portion, and an axial lock feature. The probe portion may include a probe, which includes one or more recesses on lateral exterior surfaces of the probe and configured to receive ball bearings in order to axially lock the carrier portion to the probe portion in response to the probe portion inserted a predetermined distance into the carrier portion and the axial lock feature is activated. The probe portion is further configured to radially align with the carrier portion in response to an alignment feature engages the carrier portion.

An automatic tool exchange coupler and an automatic tool exchange device are provided that achieve further improvement in the user-friendliness of the automatic tool exchange device. The coupler includes a coupler body, a first direction switching valve and a second direction switching valve that are provided to a first side surface of the coupler body. The coupler body has: in a first side surface, an uncoupling input port being connected to a pipe for introducing a gas for uncoupling; and in the second side surface opposite to the first side surface, an uncoupling output port being configured to connected to the uncoupling port. The uncoupling input port is located at a position where a center of the uncoupling input port is radially offset with respect to the uncoupling output port by at least an amount corresponding to a length of a diameter of the uncoupling input port.

A tool changer 30 with a master half 32 and tool half 34. A securing mechanism has a clasp 70 and a cam 72. The clasps 70 move between a release position and a grasping position. In the grasping position, the master 32 and tool halves 34 are secured together with one another. The cam 72 moves the clasps 70 between the release and grasping positions. From a release position, the master half 32 engages the tool half 34. The master half 32 moves laterally with respect to the tool half 34. This, in turn, moves the cam 72, and thus the clasps, from their release positions to their grasping positions. In the grasping position, the clasps 70 grasp the tool half 34, the cam locks 72 in its grasping position and the master 32 and tool 34 halves secure with one another.

Systems and methods for changing end-of-arm tools and methods for manufacturing vehicles are provided. An exemplary end-of-arm tool changing system includes a rotatable tool rack configured to hold at least two end-of-arm tools and configured to move a selected end-of-arm tool from a far location to a near location. The exemplary end-of-arm tool changing system further includes a robot configured to reach the near location for attachment of the selected end-of-arm tool to the robot.

A surgical instrument. The surgical instrument includes an end effector that comprises a staple channel and an anvil that is movably translatable relative to the staple channel. A tool mounting portion is configured to interface with a robotic system and operably communicate with the end effector. The instrument further includes a first sensor that has an output that represents a first condition of a portion of the robotic system. A second sensor has an output that represents a position of the anvil. A third sensor has an output that represents a position of a reciprocating knife within the end effector. An externally accessible memory device communicates with the first, second and third sensors.