Handling device for wire electric discharge machines

A wire electric discharge machine for machining a workpiece, comprising:

• a handling device configured to handle core pieces produced by the wire electric discharge machine during the machining process of the workpiece;
• and
• an upper wire guiding head and a lower wire guiding head that are moveable with respect to each other and with respect to the workpiece;
• and
• a chute connected with the receptacle, the chute being configured so that the removed core piece slides or falls by gravity through the chute to a collecting tray located in a periphery of the wire electric discharge machine,
• wherein the handling device comprises a gripper mounted in a fixed or movable relation to the upper wire guiding head, the gripper configured to be moved so as to face a produced core piece with a gripper base of the gripper,
• wherein the gripper comprises a fluid inlet configured to permit a fluid flow under positive pressure to enter the gripper, and a fluid outlet at the gripper base configured to permit the fluid flow under positive pressure to exit the gripper,
• wherein an interior of the gripper is configured to guide the fluid flow to produce a low pressure region at the gripper base as the fluid flow exits the gripper at the fluid outlet so as to generate a lifting force on the produced core piece to remove the produced core piece from the workpiece by movement of the gripper, and
• wherein the wire electric discharge machine includes a receptacle configured to receive removed core pieces.