A system for automated manufacture of a pressure vessel, the system including a cutting station at which an elongated cylinder is cut into a selected length forming the vessel shell, a first, second and third computer control shell indexing station, each indexing station having means to rotate the shell about its horizontal axis in response to computer control, a computer control multi-axes arm robot having means to grasp and manipulate a cutting torch and a welding torch, the robot moving to the first index station to cut holes in the shell at preselected locations and, at the second indexing station for welding piping fittings in the shell having holes cut therein, and at the third indexing station for welding a head on each end of the shell to close the vessel. In the preferred arrangement the robot is mounted on a track which runs parallel to the first, second and third indexing stations.

A device for a woodworking machine (13) adapted at a number of consecutive working stations (14) for processing workpieces which are fed through the machine. The required working of the workpieces can be effected with at least one working station out of operation. The working stations are separated from each other by partitions (20) which extend between external walls (11), a roof (12) and a base and which are closely associated with the machine on either side of the working stations (14) and, like the external walls and the roof, are sound-proof. The tool or tools at each working station can be driven independently of the tools at the other working stations, and each compartment (22) defined by the partitions has a door (21) in the external wall (11). The path of travel of the workpieces through the machine is laterally limited by vertical walls and at the working stations the walls can be provided with covers for forming tunnel portions at these locations. A device is provided for indicating the state of operation in each compartment (22) and preventing unintentional activation of tools which are out of operation, such that a tool can be safely exchanged at one working station while workpieces are being processed at the other working stations.

A wafer handling apparatus has a common desk including a top surface having a front zone, a middle zone and a rear zone, the front zone being capable of receiving plural indexers functioning as a wafer sender and/or receiver, a couple of wafer processing units disposed adjacent lateral sides of the middle zone, a wafer baking oven disposed adjacent a middle of the rear zone, and a wafer handling mechanism disposed adjacent a middle of the front zone, the wafer processing units and the oven.

An automatic hard diskdrive read/write arm fabrication system, which includes a plurality of rotary tables arranged in a line, conveyer means arranged at one side of the rotary tables for carrying shaped material blocks to the rotary tables for processing into finished hard diskdrive read/write arm, a set of processing implement respectively disposed adjacent to the rotary tables and controlled to process shaped material blocks into finished hard diskdrive read/write arm, and a plurality of transferring tool means, for example, mechanical arms controlled to transfer shaped material blocks from the conveyer means to the rotary tables for processing by the processing implement respectively, and to transfer processed shaped material blocks from the rotary tables to the conveyer means.

The invention pertains to a multiple spindle machine tool wherein a plurality of substantially parallel spindles transversely disposed to a workpiece transfer path permit sequential operations upon a workpiece transferred from spindle to spindle. Spindles may be mounted upon opposite sides of the transfer path permitting machining on opposite sides of a workpiece, and the machine tool permits successive operations to be performed sequentially, rapidly and economically.