Machine tool apparatus for applying information to a surface of a workpiece during manufacturing-related operations

A machine tool apparatus comprising:

• multiple work machine modules being disposed adjacent to one another in a predetermined order and being configured to sequentially perform a series of manufacturing-related operations on a workpiece;
• a plurality of robot arms configured to convey the workpiece between the multiple work machine modules;
• an individual information-providing device, being disposed at a single location within the predetermined order after at least two of the multiple work machine modules such that the single location is accessible by a least two of the plurality of robot arms that each convey the workpiece among separate groups of the multiple work machine modules, and configured to provide an individual information to the workpiece conveyed into the multiple work machine modules and subjected to manufacturing-related operations;
• a storage device that stores at least a control program;
• and
• a control device configured to link the manufacturing history of manufacturing-related operations performed on the workpiece by the multiple work machine modules and store the linked manufacturing history in the storage device, the workpiece being a workpiece to which the individual information was provided by the individual information-providing device,
• wherein the individual information-providing device provides the individual information to a surface of the workpiece which is not to be machined in any manufacturing-related operations subsequent to at least one predetermined manufacturing-related operation in the multiple work machine modules, and
• wherein the control device is configured to execute the control program to control at least one of the pluarlity of robot arms to provide the workpiece to the individual information-providing device out of order in the predetermined order subsequent to the at least one predetermined manufacturing-related operation.