Machine tool and method of operating the machine tool

1 . A machine tool comprising:

a workpiece support for supporting at least two workpieces for allowing machining of the workpieces; and

a tool assembly comprising a tool carrier support and a tool magazine, the tool assembly being displaceable in parallel with an X axis;

wherein the tool carrier support supports a tool carrier, the tool carrier being configured for carrying and driving a tool configured for machining at least one of the at least two workpieces supported by the workpiece support, wherein the tool carrier is supported on the tool carrier support for movement with the tool carrier support in parallel with the X axis;

wherein the tool magazine of the tool assembly is configured for supporting a plurality of tools;

wherein the tool magazine is attached to the tool carrier support for movement with the tool carrier support in parallel with the X axis;

wherein the tool assembly comprises drive means for displacing the tool magazine in relation to the tool carrier support, between a first position in which the tool magazine is not disposed facing the tool carrier, and a second position in which the tool magazine is disposed facing the tool carrier, for allowing replacement of a tool carried by the tool carrier, by another tool supported by the tool magazine;

wherein the tool carrier is supported on the tool carrier support so that the tool carrier is displaceable in relation to the tool carrier support in parallel with a Z axis perpendicular to the X axis;

and wherein the workpiece support is arranged for supporting the at least two workpieces so that the at least two workpieces extend in parallel with the X axis, and so that the workpieces are arranged one after the other along an axis parallel with the Y axis, the Y axis being perpendicular to the X axis and to the Z axis, and wherein the tool carrier support supports at least one further tool carrier, the tool carriers being arranged for simultaneous machining of a respective one of the at least two workpieces, the tool carriers being arranged one after the other along an axis parallel with the Y axis.

2 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the drive means are drive means for displacing the tool magazine in parallel with the X axis in relation to the tool carrier support, between the first position and the second position.

3 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the drive means are arranged to operate with a stroke of less than 500 mm.

4 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool magazine is slidably attached to the tool carrier support so that the drive means cause the tool magazine to slide between the first position and the second position.

5 . The machine tool according to claim 4 , wherein the tool magazine is slidably attached to a side of the tool carrier support that faces the workpiece support during machining.

6 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool magazine is slidably attached to the tool carrier support so that the drive means cause the tool magazine to slide in parallel with the X axis, between the first position and the second position.

7 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the drive means comprise an electric motor and a ball screw mechanism, or an electric motor and a rack and pinion mechanism.

8 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool carrier is supported on the tool carrier support so that the tool carrier is displaceable in relation to the tool carrier support in parallel with a Y axis perpendicular to the X axis and to the Z axis.

9 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool magazine comprises a housing that at least partially encloses a tool support system including tool grippers, the tool grippers being displaceable to and away from a tool change position within the tool magazine for interaction with the tool carrier, wherein the housing comprises at least one opening in correspondence with the tool change position so that a first tool carried by the tool carrier is configured to be brought into contact with a first tool gripper of the tool grippers and so that a second tool supported in a second tool gripper of the tool grippers is configured to become coupled to the tool carrier and withdrawn from the second tool gripper during a tool change operation.

10 . The machine tool according to claim 9 , wherein the tool magazine comprises at least one shutter for selectively closing the at least one opening.

11 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool magazine comprises a plurality of tool grippers configured to engage respective tools, each of said plurality of tool grippers being selectively displaceable to a tool change position within the tool magazine, wherein each one of said plurality of tool grippers is configured so that when each one of said plurality of tool grippers is in a tool change position,

each one of said plurality of tool grippers is configured to be caused to engage a first tool held by a respective tool carrier due to movement of the tool magazine to the second position and to be caused to release a second tool held by the respective tool carrier due to movement of the tool magazine from the second position.

12 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the Y axis is a vertical axis so that the at least two workpieces are arranged one above the other, and so that the at least two tool carriers are arranged one above the other.

13 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece support is arranged for pivoting each of said at least two workpieces around an axis parallel with the X axis.

14 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece support is arranged for supporting at least two workpieces, each workpiece having a length of more than 2 m.

15 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , comprising at least two tool assemblies, each tool assembly comprising a tool carrier support and a tool magazine.

16 . A method of operating a machine tool according to claim 1 , the method including the following steps:

displacing the at least one tool assembly, including the tool carrier support and the tool magazine, in parallel with the X axis,

carrying out at least one machining operation on a workpiece with a first tool carried by the tool carrier,

displacing the tool carrier away from the workpiece,

activating the drive means so as to displace the tool magazine from the first position to the second position,

carrying out a tool change by releasing a first tool carried by the tool carrier in the tool magazine, and by subsequently coupling a second tool, supported by a tool gripper within the tool magazine, to the tool carrier,

activating the drive means so as to displace the tool magazine from the second position to the first position, and

carrying out at least one machining operation on the workpiece with the second tool.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further including the steps of:

causing the first tool carried by the tool carrier to become engaged by a tool gripper of the tool magazine during displacement of the tool magazine from the first position to the second position,

displacing the tool carrier in parallel with a Z axis in a direction away from the tool magazine, so as to release the first tool from the tool carrier,

positioning the second tool held by a tool gripper of the tool magazine in front of the tool carrier,

displacing the tool carrier in parallel with a Z axis in a direction towards the tool magazine, so as to engage the second tool, and

causing the second tool to become released from the tool gripper by displacing the tool magazine from the second position towards the first position.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the method comprises simultaneously machining of a plurality of workpieces, each workpiece being an elongate workpiece extending in parallel with the X axis, wherein the plurality of workpieces are arranged in parallel in the workpiece support, and wherein the method optionally comprises pivoting the plurality of workpieces around an axis parallel with the X axis.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein

the step of activating the drive means so as to displace the tool magazine from the first position to the second position comprises activating the drive means so as to displace the tool magazine in parallel with the X axis, from the first position to the second position;

and wherein the step of activating the drive means so as to displace the tool magazine from the second position to the first position comprises activating the drive means so as to displace the tool magazine in parallel with the X axis, from the second position to the first position.

20 . A machine tool comprising:

a workpiece support for supporting at least one workpiece for allowing machining of the workpiece; and

a tool assembly comprising a tool carrier support and a tool magazine, the tool assembly being displaceable in parallel with an X axis;

wherein the tool carrier support supports a tool carrier, the tool carrier being configured for carrying and driving a tool configured for machining a workpiece supported by the workpiece support, wherein the tool carrier is supported on the tool carrier support for movement with the tool carrier support in parallel with the X axis;

wherein the tool magazine of the tool assembly is configured for supporting a plurality of tools;

wherein the tool magazine is attached to the tool carrier support for movement with the tool carrier support in parallel with the X axis;

wherein the tool assembly comprises drive means for displacing the tool magazine in relation to the tool carrier support, between a first position in which the tool magazine is not disposed facing the tool carrier, and a second position in which the tool magazine is disposed facing the tool carrier, for allowing replacement of a tool carried by the tool carrier, by another tool supported by the tool magazine; and

wherein the drive means are drive means for displacing the tool magazine in parallel with the X axis in relation to the tool carrier support, between the first position and the second position.