Workpiece transport unit, hot pressing equipment, workpiece transport method, and hot pressing method

A workpiece transport unit, comprising:

• a pair of arms;
• an opening/closing mechanism configured to open and close the pair of arms in a horizontal direction;
• a pair of first placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a first workpiece to be placed thereon;
• and
• a pair of second placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a second workpiece to be placed thereon, wherein:
• a width of the second workpiece is narrower than a width of the first workpiece,
• the workpiece transport unit further comprises, at the pair of arms, a pair of first hooks and a pair of second hooks,
• the pair of first hooks include the pair of first placement surfaces,
• the pair of second hooks include the pair of second placement surfaces,
• when the pair of arms are in a closed state, each of the pair of first hooks and each of the pair of second hooks extend toward a side of an opposing arm of the pair of arms, which oppose each other in the horizontal direction,
• the pair of first hooks are respectively provided between leading end portions and base end portions of the pair of arms,
• the pair of second hooks are respectively provided at the leading end portions of the pair of arms, and
• when the pair of arms are in a closed state, an interval between leading ends of the pair of first hooks is wider than an interval between leading ends of the pair of second hooks.