The invention relates to a method and to a
machine tool for
machining planar workpieces, in particular
metal sheets, wherein an upper tool (11), which can be moved along a reciprocation axis (14) by means of a reciprocation drive device (13) in a direction toward a workpiece (10) to be machined by means of the upper tool (11) and in the opposite direction, is positioned along an upper positioning axis (16) extending perpendicularly to the reciprocation axis (14) by means of at least one
motor drive assembly (17), wherein a lower tool (9), which is aligned with the upper tool (11), is positioned along a lower positioning axis (25) by means of at least one
motor drive assembly (26), which lower positioning axis is oriented perpendicularly to the reciprocation axis (14) of the upper tool (11), wherein the upper and lower tools (11, 9) are moved in the frame interior (7) of a
machine frame (2), wherein the workpiece (10) lies on a workpiece support (28, 29) for
machining, wherein the
motor drive assemblies (17, 26) are controlled for moving the upper and lower tools (11, 9) by means of a controller (15) and at least one workpiece part (81) is
cut from the workpiece (10), wherein, in order to remove the at least one workpiece part (81)
cut from the workpiece (10) after the last
cutting step, the upper tool (11) is moved outside of a spatial volume (220) which extends above the
cut workpiece part (81) and which is formed at least by means of a predefined part of the base area of the workpiece part (81) in the workpiece plane and of a perpendicular to the workpiece part (81) toward the upper positioning axis (16) or by a predefined part of the base area and of a region outside the base area of the workpiece part (81) in the workpiece plane and of a perpendicular to the workpiece part (81) toward the upper positioning axis (16), and then the cut workpiece part (81) is removed.