A workpiece positioning device for a processing center, and a processing center and a method for positioning a workpiece mounted on a workpiece palette in a processing center is disclosed. The workpiece positioning device comprises a deposit place comprising a horizontal deposit surface for a workpiece palette with a workpiece mounted thereon and a pivot bearing that receives the workpiece palette on a first edge of said workpiece palette in a rotatable manner. Furthermore, the workpiece positioning device comprises a pivoting device for transferring the workpiece palette from a horizontal position into a vertical position, and vice versa. The pivoting device comprises a horizontal and a vertical linear axle and a gripping device and is disposed to grip a workpiece palette on another, second edge and to pivot, by simultaneously moving the horizontal and the vertical linear axles, the workpiece palette around the pivot bearing on a circular path.

Methods are disclosed for handling cylindrical tubulars in a process that, in preferred embodiments, also performs cleaning, inspection and other operations on the tubular. The tubular is held stationary while it is rotated. During rotation of the tubular, internal and external cleaning systems, and data acquisition systems, pass up and down the length of the rotating tubular. In preferred embodiments, a first tubular is loaded onto the handling machine, whereupon it is indexed and then rotated. Cleaning, inspection and other operations may be performed during rotation. Once operations are complete, the handling system ejects the first tubular while queuing up a second tubular to be loaded.

The present invention relates to a removal system and a method for removing parts processed in a processing system (200). The removal system is designed for engagement with a transportation unit (110) which is used for intermediate storage and/or transportation of a workpiece processed with the processing system (200), the processed workpiece comprising the parts to be removed. The removal system comprises a bridge movement system (120) which extends with its central longitudinal axis transversely to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit (110) and can be moved axially in the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit (110). In addition, the removal system comprises a first parts conveyor system, which is arranged on the bridge movement system (120) and extends substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the bridge movement system. Finally, the removal system comprises control unit which communicates with the transportation unit, the bridge movement system and the first parts conveyor system and provides control commands for the transportation unit, the bridge movement system and the parts conveyor system.

Disclosed herein is an insect sorting system that includes a conveyor stage having a drive unit, a grasping surface movably coupled with the drive unit and having textured surface elements, and a diverter that is configured to remove insects from the grasping surface.

Insect sorting conveyor systems include at least first and second insect conveyor stages. The first and second insect sorting conveyor stages each include an outwardly facing grasping surface forming at least part of a continuous loop having an upper section and a lower section, and an insect diverter positioned adjacent to the lower section. The second insect sorting conveyor stage is disposed below the first insect sorting conveyor stage.

The present invention relates to a removal system and a method for removing parts processed in a processing system (200). The removal system is designed for engagement with a transportation unit (110) which is used for intermediate storage and/or transportation of a workpiece processed with the processing system (200), the processed workpiece comprising the parts to be removed. The removal system comprises a bridge movement system (120) which extends with its central longitudinal axis transversely to the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit (110) and can be moved axially in the longitudinal axis of the transportation unit (110). In addition, the removal system comprises a first parts conveyor system, which is arranged on the bridge movement system (120) and extends substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the bridge movement system. Finally, the removal system comprises control unit which communicates with the transportation unit, the bridge movement system and the first parts conveyor system and provides control commands for the transportation unit, the bridge movement system and the parts conveyor system.

Disclosed herein is an insect sorting system that includes a conveyor stage having a drive unit, a grasping surface movably coupled with the drive unit and having textured surface elements, and a diverter that is configured to remove insects from the grasping surface.

The present invention provides an automatic loading and unloading system and method for double spindle CNC machines. The system makes use of cross slide component of the CNC machine itself and its sliding movements to perform loading and unloading a finished job from the machine, and eliminating need of external robots/gantry. The system comprises two sets of twin grippers placed at the two cross slides across the two spindles. Each set of grippers perform pickup, unload, load and ejection of jobs. A transfer arm travels between the two spindles to transfer semi-finished jobs between the spindles, in order to finish the jobs and collect them in an out-feed bin. The present system provides simpler and faster way of loading and unloading jobs automatically.

The automatic loading and unloading system for CNC machines of the present invention makes use of cross slide component of the CNC machine itself and its sliding movements to perform loading and unloading a finished job from machine, and eliminating need of external robots/gantry. The system comprises a set of twin grippers placed at the cross slide, first gripper and second gripper. The twin grippers perform the load, unload and eject operations in two actions: firstly, the first gripper picks up new job from pickup zone, while the second gripper unloads finished job from chuck simultaneously; and secondly, the first gripper loads the new job into chuck, while the second gripper drops the finished job into an ejector chute from where the finished job comes out of the machine simultaneously.

Disclosed herein is an insect sorting system that includes a conveyor stage having a drive unit, a grasping surface movably coupled with the drive unit and having textured surface elements, and a diverter that is configured to remove insects from the grasping surface.