A fabrication assembly for automated metal fabrication on an elongate metal workpiece includes: a track; a set of rotator assemblies on one side of the track configured to rotate a received workpiece; at least one fabrication robot movable along the track and configured to perform metal fabrication on the workpiece received by the set of rotator assemblies within a fabrication operational range; a set of trolleys movable along the same track and configured to receive the workpiece thereon, the fabrication assembly being configured to transfer the workpiece between the set of trolleys and the set of rotator assemblies in a horizontal direction transverse to the track within a workpiece transfer range that overlaps with the fabrication operational range. To accommodate the overlap, the at least one fabrication robot may be movable to outside the workpiece transfer range, and the set of trolleys may be movable to outside the fabrication operational range.
B23Q 1/52 - Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only a single rotating pair
B23Q 7/00 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting
B25J 11/00 - Manipulators not otherwise provided for
2.
FABRICATION ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF AUTOMATED METAL FABRICATION
Fabrication assembly for automated metal fabrication on an elongate metal workpiece, comprising: a track; a set of rotator assemblies on one side of the track configured to rotate a received workpiece; at least one fabrication robot movable along the track and configured to perform metal fabrication on the workpiece received by the set of rotator assemblies within a fabrication operational range; a set of trolleys movable along the same track and configured to receive the workpiece thereon, the fabrication assembly being configured to transfer the workpiece between the set of trolleys and the set of rotator assemblies in a horizontal direction transverse to the track within a workpiece transfer range that overlaps with the fabrication operational range. To accommodate the overlap, the at least one fabrication robot may be movable to outside the workpiece transfer range, and the set of trolleys may be movable to outside the fabrication operational range.
B23Q 15/24 - Control or regulation of position of tool or workpiece of linear position
B23Q 15/26 - Control or regulation of position of tool or workpiece of angular position
B23Q 7/00 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting
B23Q 7/14 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting co-ordinated in production lines
3.
MACHINING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF EXCHANGING A MACHINING TOOL
Machining assembly for automatically machining a metal elongate profile shaped workpiece, comprising: at least three CNC-spindle heads, wherein each CNC-spindle head is configured to exchangeably receive a machining tool and controllable to simultaneously machine the workpiece using the received machining tool; a conveyor for transporting the workpiece along an X-axis with respect to the at least three CNC-spindle heads, the X-axis corresponding to a main axis of the elongate workpiece; a tool bank configured to hold a plurality of machining tools each suitable for each of the at least three CNC-spindle heads; and a tool exchanger assembly configured to selectively exchange machining tools between the tool bank on the one hand and any one of the at least three CNC-spindle heads on the other hand.
B23Q 39/02 - Metal-working machines incorporating a plurality of sub-assemblies, each capable of performing a metal-working operation the sub-assemblies being capable of being brought to act at a single operating station
B23Q 3/155 - Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools
A machining system (2) for sawing a metal workpiece (4). The machining system (2) comprises a conveying assembly (6) configured to convey the workpiece (4) thereon downstream along a transport path (8) in the X-direction and a sawing assembly (10) arranged along the transport path (8). The machining system (2) additionally comprises a downstream clamping assembly (34) having a first and a second downstream clamping element (26, 30). The downstream clamping assembly (34) is decoupled from the rotatability of the band saw frame (14). Both the first and the second downstream clamping element (26, 30) are moveably arranged in an upstream and a downstream direction along the X-direction for transporting a sawn-off workpiece section (4b) away from the sawing assembly (10) in the downstream direction along the X-direction and the first downstream clamping element (26) is moveably arranged relative to the second downstream clamping element (30) in the upstream and the downstream direction along the X-direction.
B23D 53/04 - Machines or devices for sawing with strap saw blades which are effectively endless in use, e.g. for contour cutting with the wheels carrying the strap mounted shiftably or swingingly, other than merely for adjustment
B23D 53/08 - Machines or devices for sawing with strap saw blades which are effectively endless in use, e.g. for contour cutting for cutting profiled stock
B23D 55/04 - Sawing machines or sawing devices working with strap saw blades, characterised only by constructional features of particular parts of devices for feeding or clamping work
5.
3D-CUTTER AND A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE 3D-CUTTER
A 3D-cutter and a method for controlling a 3D-cutter are disclosed. The 3D-cutter includes a tiltable torch which is able to produce a cutting beam and a conveyor having a conveyor support surface with gap extending in Y-direction. The tiltable torch is moveable in both X-direction and Y-direction as well as Z-direction. Conventionally, the X-position of the entrance point or exit point of the beam in the sheet blank is kept constant relative to the gap, namely centrally between the upstream and the downstream gap edges and the sheet blank is moved back and forth in X-direction by the conveyor to form 3-dimensionally shaped bevel cuts. The X-position of the entrance point or exit point of the beam in the sheet blank may be varied relative to the gap. Thus, smaller workpieces may be produced.
B23K 37/04 - Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted for a procedure covered by only one of the other main groups of this subclass for holding or positioning work
Method and assembly for assisting a fitter in fitting parts to profiles for manufacturing construction elements of a steel construction. With the method, by using a software application fitting information is generated on the basis of the information obtained from 3D-model data of a 3D-model of the steel construction. The software application interprets 3D-model data and generates for at least one mark or phase of the steel construction a digital or physical list of parts which provides the logistical order in which the parts are supplied to the fitter and a digital or physical list of profiles which provides the logistical order in which profiles are supplied to the fitter. Additionally, specific welding parameter information for each part which has to be welded to a respective profile and graphical information which is presented on a screen which is in the working environment of the fitter may be generated.
VOORTMAN STEEL MACHINERY HOLDING B. V. (Netherlands)
Inventor
Volmer, Frans Herman
Ter Horst, Han Hermannus
Abstract
A gripper truck assembly for moving a workpiece with respect to a machining station includes a gripper truck, a gripper arm extending from a proximal end connected to the gripper truck to an opposite distal end, a gripper including at least one jaw moveable between a closed position for gripping the workpiece and an open position for releasing the workpiece. The gripper is connected to the distal end of the gripper arm by a joint configured to permit a rotation of the gripper, a hydraulic gripper actuator accommodated in the gripper arm and operatively connected to the gripper for actuating the at least one jaw of the gripper between the open position and the closed position, a gripper rotation actuator for actuating the rotation of the gripper with respect to the gripper arm about the gripper rotation axis.
B65G 47/90 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
B23Q 7/04 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting by means of grippers
8.
Method of machining an elongate workpiece, machining system and intermediate product assembly
A method of machining an elongate workpiece extending along a longitudinal axis and shaped to be supported rotationally instably about the longitudinal axis includes sensing a rotation of the workpiece about the longitudinal axis, thereby yielding a sensing result; and machining the workpiece at the machining station at least partly in dependence of the sensing result.
A method for processing profile beam parts includes providing a machining station, an in-feed transport system, and an out-feed transport system. The method further includes transporting and in-feeding a first profile beam part together with a second profile beam part to the machining station, machining at least the first profile beam part in the machining station, out-feeding the first profile beam part with the out-feed transport system from the machining station to an intermediate position which is at a variable distance X from a discharge position between the machining station and the discharge position, and in-feeding the second profile beam part in the machining station with the in-feed transport system over a distance Y and simultaneously out-feeding the first profile beam part over the distance X from the intermediate position to the discharge position. The capacity of the system is improved with the method.
B23Q 7/04 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting by means of grippers
B23D 47/04 - Sawing machines or sawing devices working with circular saw blades, characterised only by constructional features of particular parts of devices for feeding, positioning, clamping, or rotating work
10.
Method of processing profiles in a profile processing assembly and a profile infeed assembly for transporting profiles towards a working machine
A method of processing profiles in a profile processing assembly includes a working machine and a profile infeed assembly. The profile infeed assembly includes an infeed cross transport assembly, and an infeed conveyor assembly with an infeed conveyor and a measuring truck. The infeed conveyor has a first end remote from the working machine. The infeed cross transport assembly supplies individual profiles to the infeed conveyor assembly. The infeed conveyor assembly supplies individual profiles to the working machine by means of a measuring truck which engages a profile and moves the profile over the infeed conveyor to the working machine. The method includes determining the longitudinal position of a first end of a profile that is facing away from the working machine and moving the measuring truck to an optimal rest position which is closest to the first end of the profile to be fed onto the infeed conveyor.
B23Q 7/00 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting
B23Q 7/05 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting by means of roller-ways
B23Q 7/14 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting co-ordinated in production lines
B23Q 17/20 - Arrangements for indicating or measuring on machine tools for indicating or measuring workpiece characteristics, e.g. contour, dimension, hardness
B23Q 17/24 - Arrangements for indicating or measuring on machine tools using optics
11.
A METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC WELDING OF A STRUCTURAL STEEL ASSEMBLY AND AN AUTOMATIC WELDING SYSTEM FOR WELDING OF A STRUCTURAL STEEL ASSEMBLY
A method for automatic welding of a structural steel assembly includes workpieces such as profiles and/or a sheet material. The method includs using an automated process to receive information from a CAD-CAM program about welds for welding the structural steel assembly, and to post-process the information received from the CAD-CAM program. The information of each single weld received from the CAD-CAM program includes data about e.g a type of a workpiece or of workpieces of the structural steel assembly which bound the weld, a weld type, a position of the respective weld relative to the workpieces of the structural steel assembly that bound the weld, a shape of the weld, a length of the weld, a path of the weld and a width of the weld. The post-processing includes splitting each weld in sections of which the individual welding parameters are predefined.
Method and assembly for assisting a fitter in fitting parts to profiles for manufacturing construction elements of a steel construction. With the method, by using a software application fitting information is generated on the basis of the information obtained from 3D-model data of a 3D-model of the steel construction. The software application interprets 3D-model data and generates for at least one mark or phase of the steel construction a digital or physical list of parts which provides the logistical order in which the parts are supplied to the fitter and a digital or physical list of profiles which provides the logistical order in which profiles are supplied to the fitter. Additionally, specific welding parameter information for each part which has to be welded to a respective profile and graphical information which is presented on a screen which is in the working environment of the fitter may be generated.
G05B 19/4097 - Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM
13.
A METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC WELDING OF A STRUCTURAL STEEL ASSEMBLY AND AN AUTOMATIC WELDING SYSTEM FOR WELDING OF A STRUCTURAL STEEL ASSEMBLY
A method for automatic welding of a structural steel assembly comprising workpieces such as profiles and/or a sheet material. The method comprises using an automated process to receive information from a CAD-CAM program about welds for welding the structural steel assembly, and to post-process the information received from the CAD-CAM program. The information of each single weld received from the CAD-CAM program comprises data about e.g a type of a workpiece or of workpieces of the structural steel assembly which bound the weld, a weld type, a position of the respective weld relative to the workpieces of the structural steel assembly that bound the weld, a shape of the weld, a length of the weld, a path of the weld and a width of the weld. The post-processing comprises splitting each weld in sections of which the individual welding parameters are predefined.
G05B 19/18 - Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form
B23K 9/095 - Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters
G05B 19/4093 - Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form characterised by part programming, e.g. entry of geometrical information as taken from a technical drawing, combining this with machining and material information to obtain control information, named part programme, for the NC machine
14.
METHOD AND PROCESSING ASSEMBLY FOR PROCESSING PROFILE BEAM PARTS EACH EXTENDING ALONG A LONGITUDINAL AXIS
Method and processing assembly for processing profile beam parts each extending along a longitudinal axis. Method for processing profile beam parts (22, 24) comprising providing a machining station (12), an in-feed transport system (14), and an out-feed transport system (16). The method further comprises transporting and in-feeding a first profile beam part (22) together with a second profile beam part (24) to the machining station (12), machining at least the first profile beam part (22) in the machining station (12), out-feeding the first profile beam part (22) with the out- feed transport system (16) from the machining station (12) to an intermediate position (20) which is at a variable distance X from a discharge position (18) between the machining station (12) and the discharge position (18), and in-feeding the second profile beam part (24) in the machining station (12) with the in-feed transport system (14) over a distance Y and simultaneously out-feeding the first profile beam part (22) over the distance X from the intermediate position (20) to the discharge position (18). The capacity of the system is improved with the method.
B23D 47/04 - Sawing machines or sawing devices working with circular saw blades, characterised only by constructional features of particular parts of devices for feeding, positioning, clamping, or rotating work
B23Q 7/04 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting by means of grippers
B23D 53/08 - Machines or devices for sawing with strap saw blades which are effectively endless in use, e.g. for contour cutting for cutting profiled stock
15.
A METHOD OF PROCESSING PROFILES IN A PROFILE PROCESSING ASSEMBLY AND A PROFILE INFEED ASSEMBLY FOR TRANSPORTING PROFILES TOWARDS A WORKING MACHINE
A method of processing profiles in a profile processing assembly comprising a working machine and a profile infeed assembly. The profile infeed assembly includes an infeed cross transport assembly, and an infeed conveyor assembly with an infeed conveyor and a measuring truck. The infeed conveyor has a first end remote from the working machine. The infeed cross transport assembly supplies individual profiles to the infeed conveyor assembly. The infeed conveyor assembly supplies individual profiles to the working machine by means of a measuring truck which engages a profile and moves the profile over the infeed conveyor to the working machine. The method comprises determining the longitudinal position of a first end of a profile that is facing away from the working machine and moving the measuring truck to an optimal rest position which is closest to the first end of the profile to be fed onto the infeed conveyor.
B23Q 7/00 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting
B23Q 7/05 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting by means of roller-ways
B23Q 7/06 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting by means of pushers
B23Q 7/14 - Arrangements for handling work specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, machine tools, e.g. for conveying, loading, positioning, discharging, sorting co-ordinated in production lines
B23Q 17/20 - Arrangements for indicating or measuring on machine tools for indicating or measuring workpiece characteristics, e.g. contour, dimension, hardness
B23Q 17/24 - Arrangements for indicating or measuring on machine tools using optics
B65G 47/53 - Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors, i.e. discharging or feeding devices between conveyors which cross one another
B65G 47/54 - Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors, i.e. discharging or feeding devices between conveyors which cross one another at least one of which is a roller-way
B65G 47/90 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
B65G 25/02 - Conveyors comprising a cyclically-moving, e.g. reciprocating, carrier or impeller which is disengaged from the load during the return part of its movement the carrier or impeller having different forward and return paths of movement, e.g. walking-beam conveyors
B23Q 15/20 - Automatic control or regulation of feed movement, cutting velocity or position of tool or work before or after the tool acts upon the workpiece
16.
A SHEET PROCESSING MACHINE AND A METHOD FOR PROCESSING FLAT WORKPIECES
A sheet processing machine having a stationary frame and comprising a transport table for transporting and supporting a sheet material. The transport table comprises a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of roller and a gap between two of the plurality of rollers. The machine further comprises a processing tool for processing the sheet material at a first side of the sheet material, as well as a marking tool for marking the sheet material at a second side of the sheet material, opposite the first side. The machine additionally has an XY-guide assembly arranged in or at the gap and connecting the marking tool to the stationary frame and enabling a movement of the marking tool with respect to the stationary frame. The movement of the marking tool with respect to the stationary frame is independently controllable relative to a movement of the processing tool with respect to the stationary frame.
B26D 9/00 - Cutting apparatus combined with punching or perforating apparatus or with dissimilar cutting apparatus
B23B 39/00 - General-purpose boring or drilling machines or devicesSets of boring or drilling machines
B26D 11/00 - Combinations of several similar cutting apparatus
B23P 23/02 - Machine tools for performing different machining operations
B23P 23/04 - Machines or arrangements of machines for performing specified combinations of different metal-working operations not covered by a single other subclass for both machining and other metal-working operations
B23K 10/00 - Welding or cutting by means of a plasma
B23K 26/08 - Devices involving relative movement between laser beam and workpiece
B23K 26/38 - Removing material by boring or cutting
B23K 26/382 - Removing material by boring or cutting by boring
B23K 37/04 - Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted for a procedure covered by only one of the other main groups of this subclass for holding or positioning work
B41J 3/28 - Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes
B41J 3/407 - Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
patents
