Abstract: A press brake for bending plates. A press brake is provided for bending plates, including a pair of dies which act in mutual cooperation to bend a plate, a plate clamping manipulator which grasps and moves a plate which is to be placed in a scheduled location with respect to the dies, and a plate position detector mounted on the press brake in a specified positional relationship with respect to the dies, for detecting a position of the plate grasped by the manipulaator, and controlling the manipulator in response to a signal from the plate position detector.

Abstract: A punch machine having reduced effects of reaction forces. An apparatus is provided which divides the overall structure into two cooperating structures, one for transmitting a working (or reaction) force, and the other for maintaining the alignment between the workpiece and tool components. The apparatus includes a pair of tools movable toward and away from each other along a tool movement axis, a base or frame, tool support-and-guide components fixed on the base, components for moving and positioning a workpiece in a specified plane perpendicular to the tool movement axis, and reaction force transmitting components pivotally joined to the tool support-and-guide components.

Abstract: Method and Apparatus for calculating an offset direction of a wire electrode using inputted offset data which contains the information as to whether the wire electrode should be offset on the inner side or outer side of the theoretical position. The offset data and the advancing direction of the wire electrode are used to determine whether the wire should be offset on the left or right side of the theoretical position.

Abstract: A punch for a punch press includes a punch holder which is installed on a punch installing portion of the punch press and a plurality of punch bodies so supported on the punch holder as to be independently movable in the vertical direction. Shearing blade portions are formed on the lower ends of the respective punch bodies. The shearing blade portions have elongated configurations, each extending in a different direction in the horizontal plane.

Abstract: A manipulator device for a bending machine includes a pair of elongate die and punch for bending a workpiece. A first manipulator has a first clamping device for clamping the workpiece to be bent, a first support for supporting the first clamping device in a rotatable manner around a rotary axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the punch and die, and a second support for supporting the first support in a movable manner in a X-axis direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the punch and die, in a Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and in a Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction. A second manipulator has a second clamping device for clamping the workpiece, an arm for supporting the second clamping device, and a column for supporting the arm in a rotatable manner around a rotary axis parallel to the Y-axis, the column being so constructed as to be movable toward and away from the first manipulator.

Abstract: A manipulator is provided for a plate bending machine containing an arm which extends in the vertical direction and a pair of bracket members in which one bracket member can freely approach and withdraw from the other, wherein the bracket members are provided with engaging members which can engage with and be released from an engaging section formed on the jaws for grasping a plate material. A jaw exchanging device which contains in turn a plurality of jaw release structures which can mount and remove the jaws of the manipulator and can retain the jaw before mounting and after removal thereof, and a transfer structure which can transfer the plurality of jaw release structures together between the manipulator and a jaw storage magazine, and selectively transfer any one of the jaw release structures to a jaw changing position on the manipulator in a position on the side of the manipulator are also provided.

Abstract: A wire cutting electric discharge machine, in which a wire 27 which has been used a is interposedly supported between opposed top and bottom endless belts 35 and discharged from the machine. The force between the belts 35 with which the wire is interposedly supported can be increased, and the wire 27 can be discharged irrespective of any wear on the belts 35. In addition, in order to extend the life of the belts, during the interval in which the wire is being interposedly supported by the belts, a twist is imparted to the belts and a pair of wire discharge rollers which stretches the wire provided at the rear side of the belts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a stroke of a cylinder-type press machine in which a forming process control pattern comprises a pressurizing interval in which a ram of the press is maintained at its bottom position at a constant pressure for a fixed time. Accordingly, warp and distortion of a workpiece due to a spring-back of the workpiece is suppressed. Another feature of the present invention is that either the punching or forming process can be accomplished by selecting a specified pattern for various types of control patterns stored in a punching process control pattern storage section and a forming process control pattern storage section.

Abstract: A method for bending a workpiece into a developed shape between an upper and lower die. The method includes setting up a bending sequence for bending the workpiece from a unfinished to a finished state. The method is accomplished by preparing data for a workpiece shape, i.e. assigning bending points on the workpiece; determining consecutive striking points and bending points; determining preparatory bending points to avoid interference between the workpiece and dies; assigning identification codes for the preparatory bending points, and bending the workpiece.

Abstract: A method and device, for controlling a press machine, which creates an appropriate control pattern whereby high efficient processing is performed having low vibration and low noise and with operating efficiencies increased. This is accomplished based on the knowledge that the amount of vibration and noise are principles determined by the punching pressure. An appropriate punching velocity is selected from a table in accordance with a maximum punching pressure detected in a test punching operation, and then an appropriate control pattern of the stroke of a ram is created on the basis of the data detected in the test punching operation and the selected punching velocity.

Abstract: A wire cutting electric discharge machine which carries out an electric discharge process on a workpiece using a wire electrode of normal diameter, for example, 0.1 mm or greater, can also be used with a fine wire electrode with a diameter of less than 0.1 mm. The fine wire electrode can only withstand a small tension because of its extremely small diameter, so that a wire disposal device for disposing a normal wire electrode cannot be used. Therefore, a wire disposal device for a fine wire electrode is provided adjacent to the lower wire guide device, and the force with which the wire is wound up by the wire disposal device is sufficiently smaller than the tension of the fine wire electrode, so that the wire disposal process does not produce breakage in the fine wire electrode. In addition, the lower wire guide device can be used in common for a normal wire electrode, and as required, can be changed for use with a fine wire electrode.

Abstract: A welding robot for performing welding on a workpiece has a base frame, an arm mounted on the base frame, a welding torch freely rotatable around at least one axis of a tip section of the arm, and a detector on the tip section of the arm, the detector being rotatable about the axis of the welding torch. The robot has a controller which controls the movement of the arm with respect to the base frame. The controller includes an arrangement for comparing the position of the welding torch detected by the detector with a desired position preprogrammed independenlty of prior robot movement.

Abstract: A press including a frame which carries a pair of tool-holding beams lying in a common general plane. One of the beams carry a punch and the other a bending die. At least one of the beams is movable towards the opposing beam to perform a working stroke, and in the opposite direction. According to the invention, the movable beam is divided, at least effectively, into a number n of sections, n being equal to or greater than 2. The devices for moving the beam are constituted by n=1 servomotor units each of which is provided with a support coupled to the movable beam and is adapted to exert a force, through this support, for thrusting the movable beam towards the opposite beam during the working stroke. Two servomotor units are end units whose supports are coupled to respective ends of the movable beam. The other remaining servomotor is an intermediate unit whose support is situated in the transition zone between one section and another.

Abstract: To automatically align a laser beam path with respect to an axis along which a movable carriage of a laser processing machine moves, the apparatus of this invention comprises means for detecting laser beam position at least when the carriage is positioned at a first and a second position, means for displaying the detected laser beam positions, and means for adjusting the mirror tilt angle. In the apparatus, the laser beam path is aligned with respect to the axis by actuating the mirror tilt angle adjusting means so that the second laser beam position on the display means is moved to coinside with the first laser beam position. The apparatus of this invention may comprise, instead of the display means, means for calculating an inclination angle of the laser beam with respect to the axis, based on the distance between the first and the second position, and distance between the first and the second laser beam position.

Abstract: A punch press having a laser cutting device incorporated therein, including a laser cutting head, a laser generator spaced from the punch press, and a laser beam path adjusting device located between the laser generator and the cutting head is disclosed. More particularly, there is disclosed such a punch press further including a plurality axes, and including a plurality of bend mirrors to redirect the laser beam. Devices are provided for obtaining accurate central alignment and focussing of the beam.

Abstract: A device for controlling a manipulator for handling a workpiece processed by a press brake. The press brake is equipped with a side sensor for detecting the horizontal X-axis direction positions parallel to the longitudinal direction of the upper and lower dies of the press brake. The manipulator is arranged to be movable in the X-axis direction and the head of the manipulator is arranged to be rotatable about first and second shafts of the manipulator. The device includes apparatus for inputting a position of the workpiece for an initial bending stage and apparatus for inputting an angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or second shafts of the manipulator for each of a plurality of bending stages.

Abstract: A method of evaluating quality of a laser beam output of an X-Y-Z movement laser processing head of beam generator by detecting an instantaneous profile of the beam by means of dynamical laser beam analyzer, calculating values of beam stability parameter of the beam profiles, each value of the beam stability parameter corresponding to one of the laser beam profiles, comparing the beam profiles detected and adjusting mirror orientation in the generator and calculating a standard deviation of the stability parameters and adjusting condition in supplying a laser gas to the generator.

Abstract: A bending-press tool can be fixed instantaneously on its tool-holder by means of a device which permits positioning and extraction of the tool on the front side of the machine without any need to displace adjacent tools. The device comprises a clamping member pivotally mounted on a longitudinal shaft and having a shouldered portion, the heel of the tool which has a suitable shape being intended to engage on the shouldered portion. After engagement, the tool is thrust from its position of equilibrium towards the rear, causes rotational displacement of the clamping member and of a locking cam which has the effect of applying the clamping member on the tool in the work position. In order to unclamp the tool, it is only necessary to withdraw the cam. The tool then remains engaged and can be extracted by pivotal displacement in the forward direction.

Abstract: A high-speed axial-flow gas laser generator has a plurality of anodes radially provided at the inlet section of the laser tube, and a ring-shaped cathode is provided on the gas discharge section side of the laser tube. On the upstream side from the anodes, viewed from the laser gas flow in the laser tube, a nozzle is provided which imparts a spiral rotary motion to the gas flow in the laser tube.

Abstract: The machine includes a U-shaped pincer (12) with a pair of arms (14, 16) which carry a V-sectioned linear punch (P) and a V-sectioned linear die (D) respectively. The punch (P) is fixed and the die (D) is movable. The U-shaped pincer (12) is mounted so that it can rotate both about a bending axis (V) coincident with the edge of the punch (P) and about a horizontal pivoting axis (O) which intersects the bending axis (V). A clamp (10) is adapted to grip an upper edge of a piece (W) of sheet metal so that a region thereof to be bent lies in a vertical suspension plane (B) lying between the arms (14, 16) of the U-shaped pincer (12) and containing the bending axis (V). The U-shaped pincer (12) and the clamp (10) are capable of relative movement both in a vertical direction (Z) and in a horizontal direction (X) perpendicular to the horizontal pivoting axis (O).