Device and method for turning metal sheets

A sheet metal processing plant (1) comprising

• a conveying means (2), said conveying means (2) defining a receiving surface (8) for a workpiece (5) and a conveying direction (4) in a conveying plane (3) and being embodied for conveying the workpiece (5), said workpiece (5) having a bottom side (6) and a top side (7);
• and
• a turning unit (9), said turning unit (9) being embodied for turning the workpiece (5) received on the receiving surface (8) from the bottom side (6) to the top side (7);
• wherein the turning unit (9) comprises a manipulator (10), said manipulator (10) being embodied to lift the bottom side (6) of the workpiece (5) off the receiving surface (8), to perform a turning operation of the workpiece (5) and to place the top side (7) of the workpiece (5) on the receiving surface (8) of the conveying means (2);
• wherein the manipulator (10) comprises a first gripping device (26) and a second gripping device (27) embodied to transfer the workpiece (5) from the first gripping device (26) to the second gripping device (27) during the turning operation;
• and
• wherein the second gripping device (27) is embodied to place the top side (7) of the workpiece (5) on the receiving surface (8) of the conveying means (2).