Abstract: A production system, the production system comprising the following: a loading zone for loading and/or unloading at least one collection carrier, a locating system for locating a collection carrier in the loading zone, the locating system being designed to determine the location of a mobile unit arranged on the collection carrier and/or to capture identification information stored on the mobile unit, an image-capturing unit, which is designed to capture image information of the loading zone, an image evaluation unit, which is designed to determine the position of the collection carrier and/or a state of the collection carrier by the image information. A production control method for controlling a production system. The production system and the production control method enable improved order processing. Preparatory and/or follow-up tasks can be automated in a simpler and easier manner.

Abstract: In a sleeve for a gas nozzle, a sleeve main body and a sleeve end face is formed at least in part by a wear protection element which is fastened to the sleeve main body and which is composed of a more wear-resistant material than the sleeve main body adjoining the sleeve end face, an inner and/or an outer beveled portion of the sleeve end face are formed at least in part by the wear protection element.

Abstract: A machine for separative machining of a plate-shaped workpiece that has: a first movement unit for moving the workpiece in a first direction (X); a second movement unit for moving a machining head for the separative machining in a second direction (Y); and two workpiece bearing faces for bearing the workpiece. A gap that extends along the second direction (Y) is formed between the workpiece bearing faces. The machine has a push-out unit having a push-out element, wherein the push-out element is movable at least in the second direction (Y) within the gap so as to press, at a predefined push-out position (AP), against a workpiece part that was cut free from the workpiece during separative machining. The disclosure further relates to methods for pushing out a workpiece part which, in particular, was cut free on such a machine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a suction device (12) comprising a valve housing (18), a flexible partition wall (28) which runs in such a way that a control space (30) extends on one side and an intake side (21) lies on the other side, wherein the control space (30) is connected to the intake side (21) via a throttle passage (38), wherein the throttle passage (38) is formed in such a way that a flow resistance for flows is defined by the throttle passage (38) in such a way that, in the case of free suction, a negative pressure in relation to the intake side occurs in the control space (30) on account of the flow resistance.

Abstract: Devices for laser welding using welding wire have a welding head, a wire guide for the welding wire, and a wire feed drive. The welding wire can be moved by the wire feed drive during a welding process with a feed movement in a feed direction, guided by the wire guide. A positioning device has a positioning drive, by which the welding wire is moved in an oscillating manner in the longitudinal direction of the welding wire, when a wire end of the welding wire is arranged in a welding readiness position. Methods for laser welding using a welding wire as added material are carried out using the devices. A control program controls the devices. The devices for laser welding can be provided as a part of a welding robot.

Abstract: A method for cutting workpieces of different thicknesses includes providing at least one unprocessed laser beam, selectively forming a processing laser beam from the at least one unprocessed laser beam in accordance with a thickness of the workpiece, and cutting the workpiece with the processing laser beam. Forming the processing laser beam includes selectively coupling one or more unprocessed laser beams into one or more of a plurality of parallel, non-concentric fibers of a compound fiber, the plurality of fibers of the compound fiber having different cross-sectional shapes. A laser beam characteristic of the processing laser beam exiting the compound fiber differs depending upon which fibers of the compound fiber receive the at least one unprocessed laser beam, the laser beam characteristic of the processing laser beam differing depending on the thickness.

Abstract: Disclosed is an interior tracking system for manufacturing control. The interior tracking system has multiple, fixedly installed transceivers for determining the position of multiple mobile units, the position being determined in particular by evaluating the propagation time of electromagnetic (radio) signals. The interior tracking system is used to assign one of the mobile units to one or more workpieces in an industrial manufacturing plant that processes steel and/or sheet metal, to determine the position of the assigned workpieces by localizing the assigned mobile unit using the interior tracking system and to integrate the interior tracking system into a manufacturing control system of the industrial manufacturing plant.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for controlling a cutting process in which a workpiece is cut by a high-energy beam. A process light signal is detected emanating from an interaction region of the high-energy beam with the workpiece in a first wavelength range (??1), in which at least one metallic constituent (Fe, Cr) of the workpiece has at least one emission line, and in a second wavelength range (??2), which differs from the first wavelength range, in which continuum radiation of the workpiece without emission lines is detectable. Vaporization of the at least one metallic constituent (Fe, Cr) is monitored on the basis of an intensity of the process light signal detected in the first wavelength range (??1) and on the basis of an intensity of the process light signal detected in the second wavelength range (??2).

Abstract: Methods and devices for removing a workpiece part from a remaining workpiece, comprise a holding apparatus that is moveable in a removal direction and switchable between a fixing state for fixing the workpiece part to the holding apparatus and a release state for releasing the workpiece part from the holding apparatus. The holding apparatus has at least one electrically conductive first contact element for contacting the workpiece part at one or more first contact points and at least one electrically conductive second contact element for contacting the workpiece part at one or more second contact points. The device also has a sensor apparatus that uses the contact elements to check, in a first check state, the complete separation of the workpiece part from the remaining workpiece and to check, in a second check state, fixing of the workpiece part to the holding apparatus being in the fixing state.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for remotely operating a machine using a communication device. In one aspect, a method includes generating images showing at least one operating range of the machine by using at least one camera of the machine, transmitting the generated images and an image of an operating surface of the machine to the communication device via a radio network, displaying at least one of: the operating surface image and at least one of the generated images on an operating display of the communication device, accepting machine operation commands input by an operator using the operating display, and then transmitting the machine operation commands via the radio network, thereby remotely operating the machine.

Abstract: A processing machine for processing a workpiece with a processing beam includes a nozzle changer and a protective enclosure. The nozzle change is for mounting nozzles on or demounting nozzles from a processing head of the processing machine. The nozzle changer has multiple nozzle holders for holding nozzles. The protective enclosure is configured to close off a working space for the processing of the workpiece with the processing beam from a working space surrounding area. The nozzle changer is movable between a nozzle changing position within the protective enclosure and a setup position outside the protective enclosure.

Abstract: A planar workpiece machining device has an upper tool and a lower tool that are movable toward each other in a reciprocation direction and in the opposite direction to machine a workpiece arranged therebetween. The upper tool has a clamping shaft, an upper main body, and a tool body arranged opposite the clamping shaft on the main body and having an upper bending edge. The lower tool has a lower main body, on which a counter tool body having a lower bending edge and a counter holder are provided. The lower bending edge is oriented facing the counter holder. The upper bending edge is stationary to the upper main body, and the lower bending edge is stationary to the lower main body. The upper bending edge is associated with an undercut on the tool body and the lower bending edge is associated with an undercut on the counter tool body.

Abstract: A machine tool for machining planar workpieces includes an upper tool, a lower tool, a machine frame, and a controller. The upper tool is movable with a stroke movement along a stroke axis by a stroke drive device in a direction towards a workpiece and in the opposite direction and positionable with an upper traversing movement along an upper positioning axis by a motor drive assembly. The lower tool is aligned with the upper tool and is positionable with a lower traversing movement along a lower positioning axis by a motor drive assembly. The upper and lower tools are movable in a frame interior of the machine frame. The motor drive assemblies can be controlled by the controller. The upper and lower traversing movements can be controllable independently of each other. The upper tool can be controlled with the upper traversing movement and the stroke movement in a superposed manner.

Abstract: A device for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece. The device includes a focusing unit for focusing a machining beam, in particular a laser beam, onto the workpiece for the formation of a kerf on the workpiece. The device also includes an image acquisition unit to generate at least one image of a region of the workpiece, and an evaluation unit configured to determine, based on the at least one image, at least one measured variable for the course of the gap width of the kerf in a thickness direction of the workpiece. The invention also relates to an associated method for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece.

Abstract: A tool includes an upper tool having a clamping shaft and an upper main body that lie on a common positioning axis, a processing tool opposite the clamping shaft that has at least one processing edge that extends at least partially along a holding-down surface of the main upper body, a lower tool having a lower main body with a rest surface for the workpiece and a lower positioning axis oriented perpendicular to the rest surface, a counter tool body on the lower main body, the counter tool body having a counter roller with at least one counter edge opposite the at least one processing edge of the processing tool, and a processing device adjacent to the at least one counter edge that has at least one curved counter surface oriented in the longitudinal direction of the processing edge of the processing tool.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing control of machining of workpieces in a manufacturing hall that includes providing a plurality of image acquisition devices configured to acquire image sequences of allocated observation areas, identifying an object to be tracked in a first image of a first image sequence using at least one object feature, determining positions of the object feature in images of subsequent image sequences, determining a current position of the object by localizing the object feature in a temporally current image of one of the image sequences, and assigning the position of the object feature in the temporally current image to a current position in the observation area of the image sequence that includes the temporally current image, and integrating the determined current position of the object into the manufacturing control of the hall.

Abstract: Described is laser machining nozzles for laser machining devices. The laser machining nozzles includes a body having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface of the laser machining nozzles include at least one subarea. The subarea includes a layer of at least one of the copper oxides CuO and Cu2O. The layer of CuO and/or Cu2O has an absorbing effect for radiation at an observation wavelength between 300 and 1100 nm or between 900 and 1700 nm.

Abstract: The invention relates to devices and methods for monitoring or regulating a cutting process on a workpiece. A focusing element focuses a high-energy beam onto the workpiece. An image capture apparatus captures a region at the workpiece to be monitored. The region includes an interaction region of the high-energy beam with the workpiece. An control apparatus determines at least one characteristic variable of the cutting process, in particular of a kerf formed during the cutting process, on the basis of the captured interaction region.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for predicting the tilt inclination of a workpiece part that is being cut free from a remaining workpiece using a machine tool during a machining process, and that rests on one or more supports, said method comprising the following steps: determining one or more possible tilt edges about which the workpiece part being cut free might tilt. For at least one potential tilt edge, particularly for each potential tilt edge, determining tilt moments that act on the workpiece part in different states of the machine tool, and on the basis of the determined tilt moments, determining whether the workpiece part would tilt about a tilt edge.

Abstract: A method for assigning a workpiece to be processed to a mobile unit of an indoor location system used in a manufacturing hall in industrial processing of workpieces is provided.