MACHINE TOOL

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a machine tool. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Automatic tool change processes in a machine tool, particularly when changing tools mounted in a machine tool's work spindle, are a widespread option for increasing the degree of automation of a machine tool and the machining processes taking place therein; they are thus essentially state of the art. Such a machine tool is known, for example, from US 2002 / 006764 A1.

[0003] However, further developments in the area of ​​automatic changeover processes and improvements to existing systems are desired, particularly with regard to changing workpieces that are clamped or are to be clamped on a machine table of the machine tool.

[0004] The goal is always to ensure that the machine tools enable fast changeover times and short downtimes during changeover processes. Furthermore, the machine tools should have a compact design and be able to store a large number of tools or workpieces in appropriate storage locations, such as magazines, for the upcoming machining processes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a machine tool with improved automation properties and at the same time a compact design.

[0006] To achieve this object, a machine tool according to claim 1 is proposed. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments of the machine tool according to the invention.

[0007] The machine tool according to the invention comprises: a machine table pivotable about a pivot axis for clamping a workpiece, a workpiece magazine with a plurality of magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces, and a workpiece changing device for inserting or removing a workpiece on the machine table, wherein the pivotable machine table is configured to pivot into a change position for inserting or removing the workpiece on the machine table by the workpiece changing device, and the workpiece changing device is configured to insert or remove the workpiece on the machine table pivoted into the change position.

[0008] The machine tool according to the invention made it possible to achieve an improvement in the degree of automation in a simple manner, so that machine tables which, for example, have a swivel axis can now be automatically loaded by a workpiece changing device.

[0009] For this purpose, it is particularly advantageous if the swivel axis can be deliberately included in the workpiece changing process, as this provides significantly more options for the workpiece changing device to change the workpiece, also with regard to the time factor.

[0010] Furthermore, a workpiece changing device set up for such a workpiece change on a pivoting machine table is advantageous in that it is enabled by its gripper section, such as the fork of a fork changer (also often used for tool changing processes on work spindles), and by the presence of various drives such as linear axes, rotary drives and / or lifting drives, to change the workpieces clamped on the machine table in various movement sequences and to carry out the changing processes quickly.

[0011] An advantageous development of the machine tool according to the invention is that the workpiece magazine has at least one rotation axis, around which the workpiece magazine has a plurality of radially aligned magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces.

[0012] Another consideration in such workpiece changing processes is, on the one hand, the presence of a workpiece magazine and, on the other hand, the design or characteristic features of the magazine. Particularly in workpiece magazines with arcuate and / or radially arranged magazine locations, the positioning options of both the workpiece changing device and the machine table can have a significant impact on safe and rapid workpiece changing, so that the three components (magazine, changer, and machine table) can interact advantageously with each other.

[0013] In addition, radially arranged magazine locations (as found, for example, in wheel magazines or sometimes in chain magazines) now allow workpieces to be prepared and stored on the machine table in a particularly space-saving manner for automated insertion and removal of the workpieces.

[0014] Furthermore, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the pivotable machine table has a clamping device aligned perpendicular to the pivot axis for clamping a workpiece, wherein in the changing position of the machine table the clamping device of the machine table is aligned substantially parallel and / or substantially identically oriented to a magazine location of the workpiece magazine, from which the workpiece is removed by the workpiece changing device and inserted into the clamping device of the machine table or into which the workpiece is inserted from the clamping device of the machine table by the workpiece changing device.

[0015] This allows the workpieces to be moved and inserted or exchanged between the clamping device of the machine table and the workpiece magazine with just a few movements by the workpiece changing device.

[0016] According to the invention, the workpiece changing device has a gripper section which is designed to grip the workpiece on the clamping device of the machine table and / or on a magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine, wherein the workpiece changing device has a rotation axis about which the gripper section is rotatable and which, when the workpiece is gripped by the gripper section, is arranged substantially parallel to the orientation of the clamping device of the machine table and / or the corresponding magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine.

[0017] This means that the workpieces can now be easily gripped by the gripper section of the workpiece changing device and positioned accordingly for the changing or replacement process.

[0018] Furthermore, the machine tool according to the invention is further developed in such a way that the workpiece changing device removes the workpiece from a magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine or deposits the workpiece in a magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine, which can be arranged below the horizontal plane running through the rotation axis of the workpiece magazine.

[0019] According to the invention, the rotation axis of the workpiece changing device is arranged obliquely between a horizontal and a vertical arrangement, around which the gripper section of the workpiece changing device can rotate. This can be influenced, for example, by the length of the workpieces to be changed in order to determine the optimal position of the workpiece changing device in the machine tool or in relation to the workpiece magazine.

[0020] A further advantageous development of the machine tool according to the invention is that the workpiece can be received via a standardized interface, in particular an HSK interface or a steep taper interface, or a user-specific interface from the clamping device of the machine table and / or from a magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine.

[0021] This means that a wide variety of interfaces can now be operated via the workpiece magazine or the clamping device of the machine table, allowing the machine tool to be adapted even more flexibly to the requirements of the respective machining operation.

[0022] A further advantageous development of the machine tool according to the invention is that the workpiece changing device can be moved via a linear axis between the workpiece magazine and the pivoting machine table.

[0023] In addition, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the workpiece changing device is designed to position the gripper section of the workpiece changing device for gripping the workpiece on the clamping device of the machine table when inserting or removing the workpiece clamped by the machine table by moving the workpiece changing device along the linear axis and simultaneously starting to position the gripper section in a rotating manner about the rotation axis of the workpiece changing device.

[0024] This allows the workpiece changing device to quickly load and unload the clamped workpieces by superimposing a linear travel movement and a rotary movement of the gripper section of the workpiece changing device. In particular, this can be used to compensate for a possible height offset between the rotation axis of the workpiece changing device / the magazine location of the workpiece magazine and the clamping device of the machine table, without relying on a vertical linear unit (or a similar additional movement mechanism).

[0025] This also enables a significant improvement in the automation of workpiece machining on machine tools or on pivoting machine tables. The design of the machine tables is irrelevant and can include machine tables with two-sided bearings (e.g., with a U-shaped bridge or a straight bridge) as well as machine tables with one-sided bearings, as described, for example, in patents DE 10 2004 049 525 B3 and DE 10 2012 201 736 B3.

[0026] In addition, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the pivotable machine table is designed as a pivoting rotary table.

[0027] The ability to additionally perform a positioning operation that changes the position of the workpiece expands the application possibilities of the machine table enormously, so that on the one hand, significantly more complex geometries of the workpiece can be created in one clamping (particularly in conjunction with the use of the swivel axis of the swiveling machine table).

[0028] Furthermore, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the pivotable machine table has a rotational axis oriented perpendicular to the pivot axis, about which the clamping device of the machine table can be rotated for clamping the workpiece, and the machine table is designed to position the clamping device of the machine table in a rotational manner in order to enable the gripping of the workpiece clamped by the clamping device of the machine table by the gripper section of the workpiece changing device.

[0029] This now makes it possible for the gripper to grip a wide variety of workpieces or interfaces via which the workpiece can be clamped to the machine table, since some of these require a defined relative position to the gripper or gripper section so that they can be gripped by the workpiece changing device (in particular by the gripper section) for a workpiece change.

[0030] Furthermore, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the machine table is designed to rotate the clamping device of the machine table depending on the interface of the workpiece, via which the workpiece can be received by the clamping device of the machine table and / or by a magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine, in order to enable the gripping of the workpiece clamped by the clamping device of the machine table by the gripper section of the workpiece changing device, or the machine table is designed to rotate the clamping device of the machine table depending on the interface of the workpiece, via which the workpiece can be received by the clamping device of the machine table and / or by a magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine,and to position it in a rotational manner depending on the relative position of the interface to the gripper section of the workpiece changing device in order to enable the gripper section of the workpiece changing device to grip the workpiece clamped by the clamping device of the machine table.

[0031] An advantageous further development of the machine tool according to the invention further consists in that the workpiece changing device has a vertical axis which is designed for the vertical movement of the gripper section and the rotational axis of the workpiece changing device, wherein when changing the workpiece clamped on the machine table, the workpiece changing device is designed to move the gripper section and the rotational axis of the workpiece changing device along the vertical axis for gripping the workpiece on the clamping device of the machine table in order to enable the gripper section of the workpiece changing device to grip the workpiece clamped by the clamping device of the machine table.

[0032] This advantageously enables the positioning of the workpiece changing device (especially the gripper section) relative to the workpiece clamped to the machine table in a variety of ways, which can be advantageous depending on the type of machine table used. In particular, this allows for the creation of very different combinations of positioning movements to support the workpiece changing process or even enable it in the first place.

[0033] In addition, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the gripper section has a controllable lifting mechanism by means of which the gripper section can be moved translationally in the direction of the rotation axis of the workpiece changing device, so that the workpiece can be removed from the clamping device of the machine table and / or from the corresponding magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine and / or the workpiece can be inserted into the clamping device of the machine table and / or into the corresponding magazine location of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine.

[0034] Furthermore, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the workpiece magazine has at least one workpiece magazine section, preferably a plurality of workpiece magazine sections, which are essentially rotatable about the rotation axis of the workpiece magazine and which each have a plurality of radially aligned magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces.

[0035] This allows the workpiece magazine to be used in a wide variety of ways: For example, each workpiece magazine section can store a different blank as the workpiece, or some of the workpiece magazine sections can store the blanks, while the others store the finished workpieces. There are no limits to the possibilities for using the workpiece magazine sections in a wide variety of ways.

[0036] In particular, the machine tool according to the invention can be advantageously further developed in that the workpiece magazine is designed as a wheel magazine.

[0037] A wheel magazine or several wheel magazine sections are particularly advantageous because they enable the desired workpiece to be made available very quickly and can store a large number of workpieces in a comparatively small space.

[0038] The machine tool according to the invention made it possible to easily improve the degree of automation, so that machine tables that, for example, have a swivel axis can now be automatically loaded using a workpiece changing device. It is particularly advantageous for this purpose that the swivel axis could be deliberately incorporated into the workpiece changing process, as this provides significantly more options for the workpiece changing device to change the workpiece, also with regard to the time factor.

[0039] Furthermore, a workpiece changing device set up for such a workpiece change on a pivoting machine table is advantageous in that it is enabled by its gripper section, such as the fork of a fork changer (also often used for tool changing processes on work spindles), and by the presence of various drives such as linear axes, rotary drives and / or lifting drives, to change the workpieces clamped on the machine table in various movement sequences and to carry out the changing processes quickly.

[0040] By way of example, a method for changing a workpiece on a machine tool is described, wherein the machine tool has a machine table which can be pivoted about a pivot axis for clamping the workpiece, a workpiece magazine with a plurality of magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces, and a workpiece changing device for inserting or removing the workpiece on the machine table, wherein the method comprises: pivoting the pivotable machine table into a change position for inserting or removing the workpiece on the machine table, and inserting or removing the workpiece on the machine table pivoted into the change position by means of the workpiece changing device.

[0041] This exemplary method can also be adapted in that the workpiece magazine has at least one rotation axis around which the workpiece magazine has a plurality of radially aligned magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces.

[0042] This exemplary method can be further adapted in that the pivotable machine table has a clamping device oriented perpendicular to the pivot axis for clamping a workpiece, wherein in the change position of the machine table the clamping device of the machine table is aligned substantially parallel and / or substantially identically oriented to a magazine location of the plurality of radially aligned magazine locations of the workpiece magazine, from which the workpiece is removed by the workpiece changing device and inserted into the clamping device of the machine table or into which the workpiece is inserted from the clamping device of the machine table by the workpiece changing device.

[0043] This exemplary method can also be adapted in that the workpiece changing device is movable via a linear axis between the workpiece magazine and the pivoting machine table, and the pivoting machine table is substantially U-shaped, wherein the pivot axis of the machine table is arranged at the open end of the substantially U-shaped machine table and the workpiece is clamped at the section of the substantially U-shaped machine table opposite the open end, wherein the exemplary method now comprises: positioning a gripper section of the workpiece changing device for gripping the workpiece on the clamping device of the machine table in the area between the two legs of the substantially U-shaped machine table by: moving the workpiece changing device along the linear axis to the machine table pivoted into the change position,and simultaneously starting the rotation of the gripper section of the workpiece changing device about a rotation axis of the workpiece changing device, wherein the rotation axis of the workpiece changing device is arranged substantially parallel to the orientation of the clamping device of the machine table and / or the corresponding magazine location of the plurality of radially aligned magazine locations of the workpiece magazine.

[0044] This exemplary method can also be adapted in that the workpiece changing device has a vertical axis which is configured for the vertical movement of the gripper section and the rotation axis of the workpiece changing device, wherein when changing the workpiece clamped on the machine table, the workpiece changing device is configured to move the gripper section and the rotation axis of the workpiece changing device along the vertical axis for gripping the workpiece on the clamping device of the machine table in order to enable the gripper section of the workpiece changing device to grip the workpiece clamped by the clamping device of the machine table.

[0045] Further aspects and their advantages as well as advantages and more specific embodiments of the aspects and features described above are described in the following, but in no way limiting, descriptions and explanations of the attached figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0046] Fig. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a machine tool in a traveling column design with a vertically arranged work spindle and pivoting machine table; Fig. 2 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool as a horizontal processing machine with a horizontally arranged work spindle and pivoting machine table; Fig. 3 schematically shows an embodiment of the machine tool according to the invention in a traveling column design with a vertically arranged work spindle, pivoting machine table and obliquely arranged workpiece changing device; Fig. 4 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool as a horizontal processing machine with a horizontally arranged work spindle, pivoting machine table and workpiece changing device arranged below a workpiece magazine; Fig.Fig. 5 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool in a traveling column design with a separation of the working space of the machine tool from the workpiece magazine and the workpiece changing device; Fig. 6 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool in a traveling column design and a workpiece magazine with several workpiece magazine sections; Fig. 7 schematically shows various combinations of movements of a workpiece changing device and a machine table for gripping the workpiece clamped on the machine table by the gripper section of the workpiece changing device; Fig. 8 schematically shows a further embodiment of a workpiece changing device with further movement for inserting or removing the workpiece clamped on the machine table; Fig. 9 schematically shows various variants of workpiece carriers with different interfaces. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0047] Examples and embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. Identical or similar elements in the figures may be designated by the same reference numerals, although sometimes different reference numerals may be used.

[0048] Fig. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a machine tool 1000 in traveling column design with vertically arranged work spindle 100 and pivotable machine table 200.

[0049] This shows Fig. 1 a machine tool 1000 in two views (here view a) and view b)) in order to better explain the configuration and properties of the machine tool 1000 according to the invention.

[0050] View a) shows, in addition to the work spindle 100, which can be fed along the x-, y- and z-axes, the machine bed 1100 and the pivoting machine table 200, a workpiece magazine 300 (here in this specific case a wheel magazine, which should not be considered restrictive, since it could also be a chain magazine or something similar) and a workpiece changing device 400.

[0051] The workpiece changing device 400 has a linear axis 420 and a gripper section 450, which is rotatable about a rotation axis 410 of the workpiece changing device 400. In the embodiment shown, the gripper section 450 is designed as a fork gripper, but this is not to be understood as a limitation; other designs, such as a hook gripper, can also be provided as the gripper section.

[0052] The linear axis 420 is, as shown, designed as a spindle-driven travel unit and thus enables very fast and precise positioning of the changer unit moved thereon (comprising the gripper section 450, the rotation axis 410 and a lifting unit 440 for positioning the gripper section 450 along the rotation axis 410).

[0053] The pivotable machine table 200 has a substantially U-shaped support 210 which can be pivoted into different positions via a pivot axis 230, wherein the position shown in views a) and b) illustrates the changing position in which the pivotable machine table 200 or the substantially U-shaped support 210 is pivoted so that the workpiece changing device 400 can interact with the pivotable machine table and can insert or remove the workpiece WS held or clamped by the machine table 200.

[0054] It should be noted again at this point that, in addition to a pivoting U-shaped machine table 200, various other shapes of pivoting tables / rotary pivoting tables can also be used. For example, the machine table can be supported on two sides, regardless of whether the support (bridge) is U-shaped or, for example, straight.

[0055] Furthermore, machine tables mounted on one side can also be provided in the machine tool 1000, as described, for example, in patents DE 10 2004 049 525 B3 and DE 10 2012 201 736 B3. These tables can also be pivoted into a corresponding change position by means of their pivot axis and thus loaded with workpieces WS by the workpiece changing device 400.

[0056] Therefore, the U-shaped machine table 200 chosen as an example should not be understood as a limitation. The configurations of the machine table 200 mentioned or described below can also be used / intended for other machine tables (double-sided / single-sided bearings; straight, U-shaped, or L-shaped supports 210).

[0057] The pivotable machine table 200 can also have a clamping device 220 which can be positioned so as to rotate about a rotation axis 240, so that the clamped workpiece WS and / or optionally also a workpiece carrier 10 (pallet) with an existing interface 12a, 12b, 12c (not shown here, see Fig. 9 ), which could enable the clamping of the workpiece WS in the clamping device 220, can be positioned rotatably.

[0058] View b) now shows the workpiece magazine 300 in more detail, which has a plurality of magazine locations 310 for accommodating workpieces WS. The workpiece magazine 300 can accommodate both complete blanks, i.e., completely unmachined workpieces WS, or workpieces WS that have already been machined by another machine tool or in a previous machining step.

[0059] To provide the required workpiece WS or magazine location 310 in a change position in which the workpiece magazine 300 can interact with the workpiece changing device 400, the workpiece magazine 300 can be positioned so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 320. This enables the gripper section 450 of the workpiece changing device 400 to grip (and remove) the desired workpiece WS from the workpiece magazine 300 or to deposit the workpiece WS carried by the gripper section 450 at the corresponding magazine location 310.

[0060] Furthermore, a defined and reproducible change position of the workpiece magazine 300 may also be required so that a smooth gripping of the workpiece WS by the gripper section 450 can take place, in particular at interfaces (which can be gripped, for example, by the gripper section 450) as in Fig. 9 b) are shown. Such interfaces require a specific position relative to the gripper section 450 in order to be gripped. If this is not the case, tilting or, in worse cases, even damage to the workpiece WS, the interface (here, for example, 12b), the gripper section 450, and / or even the workpiece magazine 300 may occur.

[0061] Therefore, it is also important for such workpiece changing operations as carried out by the machine tool 1000 according to the invention that a very precise alignment of the corresponding magazine location 310 of the workpiece magazine 300, the gripper section 450 of the workpiece changing device 400 and the clamping device 220 of the pivotable machine table 200 (or the machine table 200 itself or its carrier 210) with each other takes place.

[0062] For this reason, the corresponding magazine location 310 (alignment 330), the rotation axis 410 of the gripper section 450 and the clamping device 220 (illustrated by rotation axis 240) are aligned substantially parallel to each other when the workpiece WS is inserted or removed from the machine table 200 (as is also the case, for example, in Fig. 7 is illustrated), whereby the corresponding magazine location 310 and the clamping device 220 can even be oriented in the same way, but do not have to be, which can depend on the structure of the machine tool 1000 and / or on the available degrees of freedom of the workpiece changing device 400.

[0063] In this case, the magazine location 310 and the clamping device 220 are referred to as having the same orientation (with parallelism) if the workpiece WS (and, for example, a hollow shaft taper as interface 12c (see Fig. 9 )) can be inserted into the corresponding magazine location 310 and into the clamping device 220 if the workpiece WS (and the interface 12c) is displaced along the three spatial directions (x, y, z direction) and, if necessary, rotated in the rotational symmetry axis of the hollow shaft cone.

[0064] Fig. 2 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool 1000 as a horizontal processing machine with horizontally arranged work spindle 100 and pivotable machine table 200.

[0065] The configuration shown of the machine table 200 on the machine bed 1100, the workpiece magazine 300 and the workpiece changing device 400 with lifting unit 440 is essentially the same as that shown in Fig. 1 shown and already described configuration. Only the position of the work spindle 100 has changed from a vertical arrangement to a horizontal arrangement, which is intended to clarify that the invention can also be applied to various designs of machine tools.

[0066] In addition, the machine tool includes 1000 in Fig. 2 Furthermore, a tool magazine 500 and a tool changing device 600, which are essentially designed in a similar way to the workpiece magazine 300 and the workpiece changing device 400. At this point, it should be noted that a tool magazine 500 and a corresponding tool changer 600 are also provided in the machine tool 1000 according to Fig. 1 can be used, only possibly due to the changed position of the work spindle 100 also in a changed position to the tool magazine 500.

[0067] Furthermore, it should be noted at this point that it is entirely possible to load the workpiece magazine 300 with tools WZ and to load the tool magazine 500 with workpieces WS, so that the workpiece WS to be machined can be picked up by the work spindle 100 and the tool WZ can be picked up by the pivoting machine table 200.

[0068] In addition, "swapping" the contents of the workpiece magazine 300 and the tool magazine 500 can also be used to transfer the workpiece WS between the machine table 200 and the work spindle 100. For this purpose, the workpiece WS can be clamped in a suitable clamping device (e.g., a jaw chuck; not shown here) on the machine table, whereby the tool WZ held by the work spindle 100 is now exchanged for another clamping device, and the workpiece WS is transferred from the machine table 200 to the work spindle 100 by appropriate positioning of the work spindle 100 and the machine table 200.

[0069] Subsequently, the clamping device held by the machine table 200 could be exchanged for a tool WZ, thus machining the previously unmachined side of the workpiece WS. This would enable 6-sided machining of the workpiece WS, which could be carried out completely automatically (without direct user intervention, e.g., by re-clamping the workpiece WS) on the machine tool 1000.

[0070] Furthermore, in Fig. 2 shown how the gripping section 450 of the workpiece changing device 400 rotates between the two legs of the substantially U-shaped carrier 210, which in particular already begins or is completed during (simultaneously with) the movement of the gripper section 450 by means of the linear axis 420, so that the gripper section 450 can grip the workpiece WS clamped by the clamping device 220 (or the corresponding interface 12a, 12b, 12c). In this context, reference is again made to the Fig. 7 which describes several possible travel or positioning movements.

[0071] Fig. 3 shows schematically an embodiment of the machine tool 1000 according to the invention in traveling column design with vertically arranged work spindle 100, pivotable machine table 200 and inclined arranged workpiece changing device 400, wherein here again for the description of the work spindle 100, the machine table 200 on the machine bed 1100, the workpiece magazine 300 and the workpiece changing device 400 with lifting unit 440 to the explanations to Fig. 1 is referred to.

[0072] It can be seen that the workpiece changing device 400 in comparison to the workpiece changing device 400 as in Fig. 1 shown is provided lower in the machine tool 1000 and / or the workpiece magazine 300 in the machine tool 1000 has been placed higher in relation to the workpiece changing device 400. This may be necessary, for example, if particularly long workpieces WS are to be accommodated by the workpiece magazine 300 in order to, for example, maintain sufficient space from the hall floor or the floor of the machine tool 1000.

[0073] This can result in the workpiece changing device 400 no longer being able to remove (or replace) the workpiece WS from a horizontal position in the workpiece magazine 300, but instead being able to use, for example, only magazine locations 310 that are located below the horizontal position or below a horizontal plane passing through the rotation axis 320 of the workpiece magazine 300. Therefore, the workpiece changing device 400 must be positioned / angled at a specific angle relative to the machine bed 1100 so that the gripper section 450 can grip the workpiece WS (or the interface 12a, 12b, 12c) as usual (essentially parallel arrangement of the alignment 330 of the corresponding magazine location 310 and the rotation axis 410 of the workpiece changing device 400).

[0074] If the workpiece WS carried by the workpiece changing device 400 is now to be inserted / clamped into the clamping device 220 of the pivoting machine table 200, the changing position of the machine table 200 (a corresponding pivoting movement of the carrier 210 around the pivot axis 230) must be adjusted accordingly to the angle of the workpiece changing device 400, so that the rotation axis 240 of the clamping device 220 of the machine table 200 is again arranged substantially parallel to the rotation axis 410 of the workpiece changing device 400. This now again enables interaction between the machine table 200 and the workpiece changing device 400 for inserting or removing the workpiece WS.

[0075] Fig. 4 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool 1000 as a horizontal processing machine with a horizontally arranged work spindle 100, a pivotable machine table 200 and a workpiece changing device 400 arranged below a workpiece magazine 300.

[0076] The machine tool has Fig. 4 again the familiar elements of the work spindle 100 (here in a horizontal arrangement), a pivoting machine table 200, a workpiece magazine 300, a workpiece changing device 400, a tool magazine 500 and a tool changing device 600.

[0077] A special feature of this machine tool 1000 compared to the previously described machine tools is the relative position of the workpiece changing device 400 to the workpiece magazine 300 and, accordingly, to the pivoting machine table 200. In the present embodiment, the workpiece changing device 400 is arranged below the workpiece magazine 300. This can be useful, for example, with unusually long workpieces WS in order to nevertheless achieve the most compact possible structure of the remaining machine tool 1000 (work spindle 100, machine table 200, and, if applicable, tool magazine 500 and tool changing device 600).

[0078] As a result, it may be appropriate for the gripper section 450 to pick up or deposit the workpiece WS at the lowest / deepest point of the workpiece magazine 300. The corresponding magazine location 310 is arranged essentially vertically (see orientation 330 of the corresponding magazine location 310).

[0079] If the workpiece WS carried by the workpiece changing device 400 is to be inserted / clamped into the clamping device 220 of the pivoting machine table 200, the changing position of the machine table 200 must be adjusted accordingly, so that the rotational axis 240 of the clamping device 220 of the machine table 200 is not only arranged substantially parallel to the orientation 330 of the corresponding magazine location 310 (and furthermore also substantially parallel to the rotational axis 410 of the workpiece changing device 400), but, as in the present case, the clamping device 220 also has the same orientation as the corresponding magazine location 310. For this purpose, for example, the support 210 of the machine table 200 can be rotated / pivoted "upside down", as shown in Fig. 4 is shown. Thus, the workpiece WS can be transferred from the gripper section 450 to the clamping device 220 of the machine table 200 without any problems.

[0080] Fig. 5 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool 1000 in traveling column design with a separation 700 of the working space of the machine tool 1000 from the workpiece magazine 300 and the workpiece changing device 400.

[0081] The partition 700 further comprises a closable opening 710 through which the workpiece changing device 400 can be moved into the working space of the machine tool 1000 in order to then carry out the workpiece change in the working space of the machine tool 1000.

[0082] The separation 700 of the work area and the area of ​​the workpiece storage and workpiece changing device 400 has the great advantage that various contaminants that arise during the (machining) machining of the workpiece WS in the work area of ​​the machine tool 1000 can only be distributed in the work area and contamination of the separated area therefore hardly occurs.

[0083] Furthermore, the separation 700 offers the great advantage that the workpiece magazine 300 can be further loaded, for example, by an operator, even while a workpiece WS is being machined by the work spindle 100, without the operator being endangered by flying material chips or by being too close to moving machine parts (such as the work spindle 100 or the machine table 200 / carrier 210).

[0084] Fig. 6 schematically shows a further embodiment of a machine tool 1000 in traveling column design and a workpiece magazine 300 with several workpiece magazine sections 350.

[0085] The workpiece magazine 300 used for the machine tool 1000 can theoretically be expanded by any number of workpiece magazine sections 350, depending on the requirements for the quantity of workpieces WS held in stock.

[0086] In some cases, a type of subdivision of the workpiece magazine sections 350 can also take place, for example in such a way that a certain number of workpiece magazine sections 350 store the blanks, and the remaining workpiece magazine sections 350 hold the workpieces WS that come from the machining on the machine tool 1000.

[0087] Fig. 7 schematically shows various combinations of movements of a workpiece changing device 400 and a machine table 200 for gripping the workpiece WS clamped on the machine table 200 by the gripper section 450 of the workpiece changing device 400.

[0088] The illustration a) shows the simplest form of the positioning movement of the workpiece changing device 400 to the machine table 200 in order to change the clamped workpiece WS.

[0089] For this purpose, a combination of a linear movement LB WWE of the workpiece changing device 400 along the linear axis 420 and a rotational movement RB WWE of the gripper section 450 of the workpiece changing device 400 is carried out.

[0090] In particular, a workpiece WS is first picked up from the corresponding magazine location 310 of the workpiece magazine 300 and picked up by the gripper section 450, which is positioned horizontally here. The workpiece changing device 400 is then moved toward the machine table 200 via the linear axis 420, whereby the machine table 200 (or the carrier 210) is pivoted into the change position about the pivot axis 230 or is already in this position.

[0091] As soon as the free end of the gripper section 450 has been moved over the workpiece magazine-side leg of the substantially U-shaped support 210, the gripper section 450 of the workpiece changing device 400 begins a rotational movement RB WWE about the rotation axis 410 during this travel movement (linear movement LB WWE ), so that the free end of the gripper section 450 approaches the clamping device 220 between the two legs of the substantially U-shaped support 210 of the machine table 200.

[0092] This combination of the linear movement LB WWE and the rotational movement RB WWE continues until the free end of the gripper section 450 can grip the workpiece WS clamped in the clamping device 220. The clamping device 220 can then release the clamping of the workpiece WS, and the gripper section 450 can pull the workpiece WS out of the clamping device 220 with a lifting movement along the rotation axis 410.

[0093] The combination of the linear movement LB WWE and the rotational movement RB WWE can also be made in order to compensate for / overcome the height offset h (see illustration a)) occurring in such a construction of the machine tool 1000 or in such a machine table 200 between the corresponding magazine location 310 (or the workpiece changing device 400) and the workpiece WS clamped in the clamping device 220.

[0094] The advantage of this solution is that a vertical axis on the workpiece changing device 400 for compensating the height offset h (see also illustration c)) can be dispensed with, whereby the movement sequence for gripping the workpiece WS clamped on the clamping device 220 becomes more complex (superposition of two movements LB WWE and RB WWE ).

[0095] Once this has been done, the gripper section essentially performs a 180° rotation about the rotation axis 410, thereby bringing the workpiece WS removed from the workpiece magazine 300 into a position opposite the clamping device 220, so that the gripper section 450 can insert the workpiece WS to be machined into the clamping device 220 by a lifting movement along the rotation axis 410 towards the clamping device 220.

[0096] After clamping has been completed, the gripper section 450 moves out of the engagement position again by a combination of the linear movement LB WWE and the rotational movement RB WWE , only in the opposite direction, and can then be rotated back to its horizontal orientation about the rotation axis 410 and then the workpiece WS removed from the clamping device 220 can be placed back into the workpiece magazine 300 on one of the magazine locations 310.

[0097] Illustration b) now shows a further movement sequence which essentially corresponds to that in illustration a), only with an additional rotational movement RB MT of the clamping device 220 and thus a rotational movement of the workpiece WS.

[0098] Such an additional rotational movement RB MT of the clamping device 220, as shown in illustration b), may be necessary, for example, when a workpiece WS or an interface (for example as shown in 12b in Fig. 9 ) has notches for gripping the gripper section 450 only at certain points along the circumference. If this additional rotational movement RB MT did not take place, the gripper section 450 could indeed grip the workpiece WS or the interface 12b to some extent, but if the combination of LB WWE and RB WWE were continued, the gripper section 450 would become jammed on the workpiece WS or at the interface 12b, which could sometimes even lead to damage to machine parts, in particular to the gripper section 450.

[0099] It should be noted that the rotational movement RB WWE and the rotational movement RB MT must always be in the same direction in order to prevent the gripper section 450 from jamming with the workpiece WS or with the interface 12b.

[0100] Furthermore, with such interfaces, as shown in illustration b) of the Fig. 9 shown, it may be necessary for the machine control of the machine tool 1000 to have stored at which of the magazine locations 310 of the workpiece magazine 300 such interfaces on the workpieces WS are used / are in use, so that when exchanging these workpieces WS / these interfaces, the machine control can control the additional rotational movement RB MT accordingly.

[0101] Illustration c) now shows, as already indicated above, the linear movement LB WWE of the workpiece changing device 400 and the rotational movement RB WWE of the gripper section 450 as well as a vertical movement VB WWE of the workpiece changing device 400 (essentially also a linear movement, only in the vertical direction) via a linear axis not shown here in order to compensate for / overcome the height offset h between the corresponding magazine location 310 (or the workpiece changing device 400) and the workpiece WS clamped in the clamping device 220.

[0102] The advantage of this variant is that the aforementioned movements no longer necessarily have to be combined with one another in the sense of a combined, simultaneous movement of all three or at least two movements. In the simplest case, the linear movement LB WWE moves the workpiece changing device 400 as far as required in the direction of the machine table 200, after which the gripper section 450 is rotated by essentially 90° by the rotational movement RB WWE so that the free end of the gripper section 450 is positioned above the workpiece WS clamped on the machine table 200. The workpiece changing device 400 is then lowered in the vertical direction by the vertical movement VB WWE so that the free end of the gripper section 450 comes into engagement with the workpiece WS clamped on the machine table 200.

[0103] The further processes and steps for changing the workpiece WS clamped on the machine table 200 have been described sufficiently previously and will therefore not be repeated here.

[0104] Fig. 8 shows schematically a further embodiment of a workpiece changing device 400 with further movement for inserting or removing the workpiece WS clamped on the machine table 200 (in the illustrations a) to c)).

[0105] In addition to the linear axis 420, the workpiece changing device 400 has a second linear axis 470 which moves in the horizontal direction (see in particular illustration b)), which moves the gripper section 450 in the direction of or in the opposite direction to the clamping device 220 of the machine table 200 during a workpiece change.

[0106] Furthermore, the workpiece changing device 400 can additionally have its own pivot axis 460 in order to pivot a pivot section 430, which has the rotation axis 410 and the gripper section 450, about the pivot axis 460 (see in particular illustration c)) and thus to compensate for / overcome the height offset h (as already described above) between the corresponding magazine location 310 (or the workpiece changing device 400) and the workpiece WS clamped in the clamping device 220.

[0107] The swivel movement around the swivel axis 460 can be carried out in combination with the previously mentioned movements LB WWE, RB WWE, RB MT or VB WWE or separately.

[0108] Fig. 9 shows schematically different variants of workpiece carriers 10 (pallets), on each of which at least one workpiece WS can be clamped, with different interfaces 12a, 12b, 12c.

[0109] The use of workpiece carriers 10 offers the advantage that a wide variety of workpieces WS can be held by a clamping device 220 (provided on the machine table 200) without having to clamp each different workpiece WS separately.

[0110] Therefore, it should be noted at this point that the previously described change of the workpiece WS does not necessarily involve only the actual workpiece WS, but rather also includes changing a workpiece WS on such a workpiece carrier 10 (pallet). Therefore, some or all of the magazine locations 310 of the workpiece magazine 300 can also be configured to accommodate the workpiece carriers 10 via the corresponding interfaces 12a, 12b, 12c.

[0111] Illustration a) shows a user-specific embodiment of a workpiece carrier 10 with a circumferential groove provided on the outer circumference of the workpiece carrier 10, which can be used by a workpiece changing device 400 to grip the workpiece carrier 10. For clamping the workpiece carrier 10 in the clamping device 220, this embodiment further comprises a user-specific interface 12a.

[0112] Illustration b) shows a user-specific embodiment of a workpiece carrier 10, wherein grooves are provided in sections on the outer circumference of the interface 12b, which can be used by a workpiece changing device 400 to grip the workpiece carrier 10. For this to happen, however, the grooves and the gripper section 450 of the workpiece changing device 400 must be aligned with one another in such a way that the gripper section 450 can grip into the grooves of the interface 12b. A corresponding rotation of the interface 12b (for example, by means of a rotatably positionable clamping device 220 on the machine table 200) may be necessary for this. Here, too, the interface 12b is user-specific.

[0113] Illustration c) shows a user-specific embodiment of a workpiece carrier 10 with a circumferential groove provided on the outer circumference of the interface 12c, which can be used by a workpiece changing device 400 to grip the workpiece carrier 10. For clamping the workpiece carrier 10 in the clamping device 220, this embodiment further features a standardized interface 12a in the form of a hollow shank taper (HSK), whereby the interface can also be designed as a steep taper. The two variants mentioned are not to be construed as a limitation and can be replaced by any other standardized interface.

[0114] Above, an embodiment of the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0115] 10 Workpiece carrier 12a-c interface 100Work spindle 200 (swivelling) machine table 210 U-shaped support 220 Machine table clamping device 230 Swivel axis of the machine table 240 Rotation axis of the clamping device 300 Workpiece magazine 310 Magazine space 320 Rotation axis of the workpiece magazine 330 Alignment of the magazine space 350 Workpiece magazine section 400 Workpiece changing device 410 Rotation axis of the gripper section 420 Linear axis of the workpiece changing device 430 Swivel section of the workpiece changing device 440 Lifting unit of the gripper section 450 Gripper section 460 Swivel axis 470 Linear axis of the workpiece changing device 500 Tool magazine 600 Tool changing device 700 separation 710 Opening (lockable) in the partition 1000machine tool 1100 machine bed LB WWE Linear movement of the workpiece changing device RB MT Rotational movement of the clamping device RB WWE Rotational movement of the workpiece changing device VB WWE Vertical movement of the workpiece changing device WS workpiece WZ Tool

Claims

1. A machine tool (1000) comprising: - a machine table (200) pivotable about a pivot axis (230) for clamping a workpiece (WS), - a workpiece magazine (300) having a plurality of magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces (WS), and - a workpiece changing device (400) for changing a workpiece (WS) on the machine table (200); wherein the pivotable machine table (200) is adapted to be pivoted into a changing position by the workpiece changing device (400) for changing the workpiece (WS) on the machine table (200), and the workpiece changing device (400) is adapted to change the workpiece (WS) on the machine table (200) pivoted into the changing position, wherein the workpiece changing device (400) has a gripper portion (450) which is adapted to grip the workpiece (WS) or a workpiece carrier (10) with clamped workpiece (WS) on a clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) and / or on a magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300), wherein the workpiece changing device (400) has an axis of rotation (410) which is arranged obliquely between a horizontal and a vertical arrangement and about which the gripper portion (450) is rotatable, and which is arranged substantially parallel to the alignment of the clamping device (220) in the changing position of the machine table (200) and / or of the corresponding magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300) when the workpiece (WS) or the workpiece carrier (10) is gripped by the gripper portion (450).

2. The machine tool (1000) according to claim 1, characterized in that the workpiece magazine (300) has at least one axis of rotation (320) about which the workpiece magazine (300) has a plurality of radially aligned magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces (WS).

3. The machine tool (1000) according to claim 2, characterized in that the workpiece magazine (300) has at least one workpiece magazine portion (350), preferably a plurality of workpiece magazine portions, which are substantially rotatable about the axis of rotation (320) of the workpiece magazine (300) and which each have a plurality of radially aligned magazine locations for receiving respective workpieces (WS).

4. The machine tool (1000) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the workpiece changing device (400) removes the workpiece (WS) from a magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300) or deposits the workpiece (WS) in a magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300) which is arranged below the horizontal plane extending through the axis of rotation (320) of the workpiece magazine (300).

5. The machine tool (1000) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) is aligned perpendicular to the pivot axis (230) of the machine table (200), wherein in the changing position of the machine table (200) the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) is aligned substantially parallel and / or substantially identically oriented to a magazine location (310) of the workpiece magazine (300) from which the workpiece (WS) is removed by the workpiece changing device (400) and inserted into the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) or into which the workpiece (WS) is inserted from the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) by the workpiece changing device (400).

6. The machine tool (1000) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the workpiece (WS) can be received by the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) and / or by a magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300) via a standardized interface (12a; 12b; 12c), in particular an HSK interface (12c) or a steep-taper interface, or a user-specific interface (12a).

7. The machine tool (1000) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the workpiece changing device (400) is movable between the workpiece magazine (300) and the pivotable machine table (200) via a linear axis (420).

8. The machine tool (1000) according to claim 7, characterized in that the workpiece changing device (400) is adapted, when changing the workpiece (WS) clamped by the machine table (200), to position the gripper portion (450) of the workpiece changing device (400) for gripping the workpiece (WS) on the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) by moving the workpiece changing device (400) along the linear axis (420) and at the same time starting to position the gripper portion (450) by rotating said gripper portion (450) aroundthe axis of rotation (410) of the workpiece changing device (400).

9. The machine tool (1000) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivotable machine table (200) is configured as a pivoting rotary table.

10. The machine tool (1000) according to claim 9, characterized in that the pivotable machine table (200) has an axis of rotation (240) oriented perpendicularly to the pivot axis (230), about which the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) is rotatable for clamping the workpiece (WS), and the machine table (200) is adapted to position the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) rotatably in order to enable gripping of the workpiece (WS) clamped by the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) by the gripper portion (450) of the workpiece changing device (400).

11. The machine tool (1000) according to claim 6 and 10, characterized in that the machine table (200) is adapted to position by way of rotation the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) depending on the interface (12a; 12b; 12c) of the workpiece (WS), via which the workpiece (WS) can be received by the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) and / or by a magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300), in order to enable gripping of the workpiece (WS) clamped by the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) by the gripper portion (450) of the workpiece changing device (400), or the machine table (200) is adapted to position by way of rotation the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) depending on the interface (12a; 12b; 12c) of the workpiece (WS), via which the workpiece (WS) can be received by the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) and / or by a magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300), and depending on the relative position of the interface (12a; 12b; 12c) to the gripper portion (450) of the workpiece changing device (400), in order to enable gripping of the workpiece (WS) clamped by the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) by the gripper portion (450) of the workpiece changing device (400).

12. The machine tool (1000) according to any one of claims 8, 10 or 11, characterized in that the workpiece changing device (400) has a vertical axis which is adapted to vertically move the gripper portion (450) and the axis of rotation (410) of the workpiece changing device (400), wherein when changing the workpiece (WS) clamped on the machine table (200), the workpiece changing device (400) is adapted to move the gripper portion (450) and the axis of rotation (410) of the workpiece changing device (400) along the vertical axis for gripping the workpiece (WS) on the clamping device of the machine table (200), in order to enable gripping of the workpiece (WS) clamped by the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) by the gripper portion (450) of the workpiece changing device (400).

13. The machine tool (1000) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripper portion (450) has a controllable lifting mechanism (440) by which the gripper portion (450) is translationally movable in the direction of the axis of rotation (410) of the workpiece changing device (400), so that the workpiece (WS) can be removed from the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) and / or from the corresponding magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300) and / or the workpiece (WS) can be inserted into the clamping device (220) of the machine table (200) and / or into the corresponding magazine location (310) of the plurality of magazine locations of the workpiece magazine (300).

14. The machine tool (1000) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the workpiece magazine (300) is configured as a wheel magazine.