Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a workpiece has a frame and a supporting field consisting of end faces of a plurality of supporting pins which are guided parallel to one another in their main extension directions in the frame and which can each be pushed in against a restoring force with respect to the frame. Further, the apparatus has a detection device including a light barrier in order to detect relative positions of at least some of the supporting pins with respect to the frame. A light source and a light sensor of the light barrier are facing one another across the main extension directions of the supporting pins. The light source is divided into a plurality of sub-sources along one side of the supporting field, and the light sensor is divided into a plurality of sub-sensors along another side situated opposite the aforementioned side of the supporting field.

Abstract: A work-holding device is provided for clamping a workpiece of irregular shape. The work-holding device has a clamping jaw. The clamping jaw comprises a multitude of clamping pins (3). The clamping pins (3) are circular in cross section, aligned in parallel and laterally directly adjacent to one another, and separately movable in their direction of main extension. The clamping jaw also comprises a frame laterally encompassing the clamping pins (3). The clamping jaw further comprises an open pressure chamber (17) provided at the backside of said clamping pins (3) turned away from said workpiece. Pressure medium (16) is supplied to the pressure char, parts of which emerge from said pressure chamber (17) to said workpiece through clearances between said clamping pins (3); and the pressure medium (16) in the pressure chamber impinges said clamping pins (3) in direction towards the workpiece.