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 workpiece exchange device, including: a workpiece spindle; and a workpiece library, wherein: the workpiece spindle is arranged on a pallet, the pallet is arranged on a slide table, the pallet can move along a Z axis of a machine tool, and the slide table can move along an X axis of the machine tool; and the workpiece library is used to store workpieces, and the workpiece spindle can move along the X-axis and Z-axis of the machine tool and grab a workpiece. The present invention also discloses a method for exchanging workpieces. Through the coordinated movement of the slide table and the pallet, the workpiece spindle can take out a workpiece to be machined from the workpiece library or return a machined workpiece into the workpiece library. The present invention uses a machine tool coordinate system to grab the workpiece with high precision and high speed, and does not need to add an auxiliary mechanism, and has the advantages of simple structure, high stability and good reliability.

A system (40) is provided for processing a workpiece (44). The system (40) includes a support surface (48) for supporting the workpiece (44) and defining a processing path (P) along which the workpiece (44) may travel relative to the system (40). The system (40) includes at least one tool (64a, 64b, 64c) for performing a process on the workpiece (44) that is movable in a work zone (WZ) along a predetermined length (L) of the workpiece (44) in a direction along the processing path (P). The system (40) includes a movable clamp assembly (80) having opposing clamping pads (84, 88) movable into and out of the work zone (WZ) along the processing path (P) to clamp a portion of the workpiece (44) located in the work zone (WZ) prior to the at least one tool (64a, 64b, 64c) performing a process on the workpiece (44).

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 machine tool includes a headstock that holds a workpiece, a tool post that is movable in a first axis direction parallel to a workpiece rotation axis and in a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis and holds a tool, an in-machine robot, an opening for communicating the inside and the outside of a working chamber, and a door that opens and closes the opening. The robot includes a root joint fixed in the working chamber and a link unit positioned on a distal end side of the root joint. The root joint is a linear-motion joint extendable in a direction orthogonal to the workpiece rotation axis, and is a linear-motion joint extendable between the length for causing the entire link unit to be positioned inside the working chamber and the length for causing the entire link unit to be positioned outside the working chamber.

A clamping means system including a bearing device and clamping vices, which fit into the bearing device and respectively have on their base area machine coupling system and on their side faces and flanks a bearing receiving contour and a gripping receiving contour. The bearing receiving contour has the greatest play; the fit between the gripper and the gripper receiving contour is of moderate precision, while the precision of the machine coupling system is the greatest. The clear functional separation between the machine coupling system and the bearing receiving contour or gripper receiving contour allows a reliable low-cost system to be constructed. Furthermore, in the case of mixed partly automated systems, in which parts of the handling tasks are performed by the operator and other parts are performed by gripping robots, the handling is possible in an easy and intuitive way.

A machine tool includes a workpiece spindle device which rotates a workpiece, a tool post which can move a tool in a first axis direction (X-axis direction) which is a radial direction of the workpiece and a second axis direction (Z-axis direction) which is an axial direction of the workpiece, and an articulated robot including a plurality of arms, a plurality of joints, and end effectors. The plurality of joints connect the plurality of arms in a rotatable manner around an axis parallel to a third axis (Y-axis) orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis, and the end effectors move in a plane parallel to a movement plane of the tool.

The invention concerns a robot cell (1) comprising a multi axis robot arm (3), which terminates in a gripper (4) arranged to handle a pallet (2), and a sawing device (10), which is arranged to separate a nailed pallet part from a pallet (2) handled by said gripper (4). The sawing device (10) comprises a saw blade immersed in a liquid bath, which is contained in a trough (11) of the sawing device (10), such that separation of said nailed pallet part is performed in a liquid environment.

A part-holding device includes a holding portion configured to hold an object to be held and a main body configured to detachably connected to the holding portion. The main body has a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface oriented in respective differing directions, and the holding portion has a first abutting surface, a second abutting surface and a third abutting surface capable of abutting against the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface, respectively. The part-holding device further includes pressing means configured to press the holding portion to cause the first abutting surface to abut against the first surface and to cause the second abutting surface to abut against the second surface, and fixing means configured to cause the third abutting surface to abut against the third surface and to fix the holding portion to the main body.