Forming tools includes an upper holder; a lower holder; a punch having a punch body which can be attached to/detached from the upper holder and the lower holder; an ejector being disposed movably in a vertical direction around a convex portion provided on a face of the punch body; a resilient unit for urging the ejector, the resilient unit being provided on a back face of the punch body; a die having a die body which can be attached to/detached from the upper holder and the lower holder, the die body being provided with a concave portion for performing forming work on a workpiece in cooperation with the convex portion; another ejector for pushing out a forming-worked portion of the workpiece from the concave portion, the another ejector being provided movably in a vertical direction within the die body; and another resilient unit for urging the another ejector, the another resilient unit being provided on the die body. Especially, the resilient unit in the punch and the resilient unit in the die has the same structure.

A segmented tool rack having a plurality of individual bays to retain tool heads for an automated selection by a robotic arm, the tool heads being positively locked in the tool rack and upon selection by a robotic arm, the tool head remains in locked position until locked-onto the robotic arm at which time it is unlocked from the tool rack avoiding the possibility of an accidental dropping of a tool head and further, the tool head remains locked in position on said rack in the event of a loss of power.

The tool or workpiece magazine has tool holders disposed on a circle, from which holders the tools or workpieces can be removed by means of a removing device disposed centrally relative to the circular arc. This removing device comprises a column which is turnable around the axis thereof and on which a carriage is axially and slidably mounted. The carriage in turn carries transversely extendable telescoping arms, at the free end of which there is disposed a gripper having gripping jaws. Slots in tool carriers attached horizontally on movable panels are used as tool or workpiece holders. The panels can be moved outward of the magazine for stocking purposes.

The present invention refers to a tool-changing mechanism that can be used especially in combination with a metal-forming press. Especially in the case of big and heavy forming tools, pairs of tools are difficult to exchange. The present invention intends to provide the possibility of exchanging also tools of this type rapidly and easily, the tool exchange being, in addition, carried out automatically, if desired. For this purpose, the tool-changing mechanism (1) includes a circulating means provided with a plurality of reception means (4a, 4b) for holding forming tools (5a, 5b). The tool-changing mechanism is adapted to be set up beside a metal-forming press. At a tool changing position, the tools can be pushed into the metal-forming press. Furthermore, the present invention refers to an arrangement comprising a metal-forming press and a tool-changing mechanism in the case of which said tool-changing mechanism is arranged directly at the side of the metal-forming press (10).

A turret punch press and a die set exchange device for the press are disclosed. The punch press includes a turret carrying die sets in die set attaching areas, and a die set exchanging device having a plurality of housings on a carriage, which moves horizontally between the turret and a die storage section to take out and charge die sets with the turret and the die set storage section to exchange the die sets for the next use.