Method and device for positioning and method and device for machining a flat workpiece, in particular a sheet

A positioning method for positioning a flat workpiece to be machined by a machining device, the method comprising:

• moving the workpiece into a machining position by a controlled positioning drive, with a positioning movement in a feed direction, and
• during the positioning movement, moving the workpiece which is supported on a workpiece support which, during the positioning movement of the workpiece, is moved by a controlled support drive with a support movement in the feed direction;
• synchronizing the support drive and the positioning drive prior to the positioning movement of the workpiece by calibrating a control of the support drive and a control of the positioning drive;
• wherein calibrating the control of the support drive comprises:
• arranging a test workpiece on the workpiece support with an initial position in the feed direction;
• moving a marking device in the feed direction into a first marking position by a controlled device drive;
• creating a first test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the initial position by the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the first marking position;
• moving the workpiece support, by the support drive, with a test support movement over a path length of the test support movement in the feed direction, wherein the test workpiece supported on the workpiece support and provided with the first test workpiece marking is moved together with the workpiece support in the feed direction by the support drive and is thereby moved to a target position with a test workpiece movement over a path length of the test workpiece movement in the feed direction that corresponds to the path length of the test support movement, and wherein the control of the support drive controls the support drive for carrying out the test support movement by way of a control variable for dimensioning the path length of the test support movement and the test workpiece movement as a defined target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by the support drive;
• moving the marking device, by the device drive, from the first marking position to a second marking position with a device movement in the feed direction over a path length of the device movement;
• creating a second test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the target position by the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the second marking position;
• dimensioning the path length of the device movement, by way of the control of the device drive of the marking device, on a basis of the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by the support drive, in such a way that the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking have a target distance in the feed direction in a coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device;
• determining a real distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking as an actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking in the feed direction;
• comparing the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking and the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking;
• and
• correcting the control variable for controlling the support drive in the sense of adapting the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking to the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking, when the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking deviates from the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking;
• and
• wherein calibrating the control of the positioning drive comprises:
• arranging a test workpiece on the workpiece support with an initial position in the feed direction;
• moving a marking device in the feed direction into a first marking position by a controlled device drive;
• creating a first test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the initial position by the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the first marking position;
• moving the test workpiece provided with the first test workpiece marking, by the positioning drive, with a test positioning movement over a path length of the test positioning movement in the feed direction to a target position, wherein, using a control variable, the control of the positioning drive controls the positioning drive for carrying out the test positioning movement for dimensioning the path length of the test positioning movement as a target path length of the test positioning movement, which corresponds to the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive;
• moving the marking device, by the device drive, from the first marking position to a second marking position with a device movement in the feed direction over a path length of the device movement;
• creating a second test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the target position by the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the second marking position;
• dimensioning the path length of the device movement, by way of the control of the device drive of the marking device, on the basis of the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by the support drive, in such a way that the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking have a target distance in the feed direction in a coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device;
• determining a real distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking as an actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking;
• comparing the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking and the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking;
• and
• correcting the control variable for controlling the positioning drive in the sense of adapting the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking to the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking, when the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking deviates from the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking.

A positioning device for positioning a flat workpiece to be machined by a machining device, the positioning device comprising:

• a positioning drive configured for moving the workpiece into a machining position with a positioning movement in a feed direction;
• a workpiece support configured to support the workpiece during a positioning movement and a support drive configured to move the workpiece support with a support movement in the feed direction during the positioning movement of the workpiece;
• and
• a numerical device control having a control of the support drive of the workpiece support and a control of the positioning drive;
• wherein the support drive and the positioning drive are to be synchronized prior to the positioning movement of the workpiece by calibration of a control of the support drive and a control of the positioning drive;
• wherein the control of the support drive is calibrated:
• by arranging a test workpiece on the workpiece support with an initial position in the feed direction;
• by creating a test workpiece marking, by a marking device, on the test workpiece arranged in the initial position;
• by determining, for the test workpiece arranged in the initial position, a starting position of the test workpiece marking in the feed direction in a coordinate system of a control of a device drive of the marking device;
• by moving the workpiece support, by the support drive, with a test support movement over a path length of the test support movement in the feed direction, wherein the test workpiece supported on the workpiece support and provided with the test workpiece marking is moved together with the workpiece support in the feed direction by means of the support drive and is thereby moved to a target position with a test workpiece movement over a path length of the test workpiece movement in the feed direction that corresponds to the path length of the test support movement, and wherein the control of the support drive controls the support drive for carrying out the test support movement by means of a control variable for dimensioning the path length of the test support movement and the path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive as a defined target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive;
• by determining, for the test workpiece arranged in the target position, an end position of the test workpiece marking in the feed direction in the coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device;
• by determining a distance between the starting position of the test workpiece marking and the end position of the test workpiece marking in the coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device in the feed direction as an actual path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive;
• by comparing the actual path length of the test workpiece movement generated by;
• the support drive and the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by;
• the support drive;
• and
• by correcting the control variable for controlling the support drive, in the sense of adapting the actual path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive to the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive, when the actual path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive deviates from the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive;
• and
• wherein the control of the positioning drive is calibrated:
• by arranging a test workpiece on the workpiece support with an initial position in the feed direction;
• by creating a test workpiece marking, by a marking device, on the test workpiece arranged in the initial position;
• by determining, for the test workpiece arranged in the initial position, a starting position of the test workpiece marking in the feed direction in a coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device;
• by moving the test workpiece provided with the first test workpiece marking, by;
• the positioning drive, with a test positioning movement over a path length of the test positioning movement in the feed direction to a target position, wherein, using a control variable, the control of the positioning drive controls the positioning drive for carrying out the test positioning movement for dimensioning the path length of the test positioning movement as a defined target path length of the test positioning movement, which corresponds to the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive;
• by determining, for the test workpiece arranged in the target position, an end position of the test workpiece marking in the feed direction in the coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device;
• by determining a distance between the starting position of the test workpiece marking and the end position of the test workpiece marking in the coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device in the feed direction as an actual path length of the test positioning movement;
• by comparing the actual path length of the test positioning movement and the target path length of the test positioning movement;
• and
• by correcting the control variable for controlling the positioning drive in the sense of adapting the actual path length of the test positioning movement to the target path length of the test positioning movement, when the actual path length of the test positioning movement deviates from the target path length of the test positioning movement.

A positioning device for positioning a flat workpiece to be machined by a machining device, the positioning device comprising:

• a positioning drive configured to move the workpiece into a machining position with a positioning movement in a feed direction;
• a workpiece support configured to support the workpiece during the positioning movement, and a support drive configured for moving the workpiece support with a support movement in the feed direction during the positioning movement of the workpiece;
• and
• a numerical device control having a control of the support drive of the workpiece support and a control of the positioning drive;
• wherein the support drive and the positioning drive are to be synchronized prior to the positioning movement of the workpiece by calibrating a control of the support drive and a control of the positioning drive;
• wherein the control of the support drive is to be calibrated:
• by arranging a test workpiece on the workpiece support with an initial position in the feed direction;
• by moving a marking device in the feed direction into a first marking position by a controlled device drive;
• by creating a first test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the initial position by the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the first marking position;
• by moving the workpiece support, by means of the support drive, with a test support movement over a path length of the test support movement in the feed direction, wherein the test workpiece supported on the workpiece support and provided with the first test workpiece marking is moved together with the workpiece support in the feed direction by means of the support drive and is thereby moved to a target position with a test workpiece movement over a path length of the test workpiece movement in the feed direction that corresponds to the path length of the test support movement, and wherein the control of the support drive controls the support drive for carrying out the test support movement by means of a control variable for dimensioning the path length of the test support movement and the test workpiece movement as a defined target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive;
• by moving the marking device, by means of the device drive, from the first marking position to a second marking position with a device movement in the feed direction over a path length of the device movement;
• by creating a second test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the target position by means of the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the second marking position;
• by dimensioning the path length of the device movement, by way of the control of the device drive of the marking device, on the basis of the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive, in such a way that the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking have a target distance in the feed direction in a coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device;
• by determining a real distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking as an actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking in the feed direction;
• by comparing the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking and the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking;
• and
• by correcting the control variable for controlling the support drive in the sense of adapting the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking to the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking, when the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking deviates from the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking,
• and
• wherein the control of the positioning drive is to be calibrated:
• by arranging a test workpiece on the workpiece support with an initial position in the feed direction;
• by moving a marking device in the feed direction into a first marking position by means of a controlled device drive;
• by creating a first test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the initial position by means of the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the first marking position;
• by moving the test workpiece provided with the first test workpiece marking, by means of the positioning drive, with a test positioning movement over a path length of the test positioning movement in the feed direction to a target position, wherein, using a control variable, the control of the positioning drive controls the positioning drive for carrying out the test positioning movement for dimensioning the path length of the test positioning movement as a target path length of the test positioning movement, which corresponds to the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive;
• by moving the marking device, by means of the device drive, from the first marking position to a second marking position with a device movement in the feed direction over a path length of the device movement;
• by creating a second test workpiece marking on the test workpiece arranged in the target position by means of the marking device arranged in a defined manner opposite the second marking position;
• by dimensioning the path length of the device movement, by means of the control of the device drive of the marking device, on the basis of the target path length of the test workpiece movement generated by means of the support drive, in such a way that the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking have a target distance in the feed direction in a coordinate system of the control of the device drive of the marking device;
• by determining a real distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking as an actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking;
• by comparing the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking and the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking;
• and
• by correcting the control variable for controlling the positioning drive in the sense of adapting the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking to the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking, when the actual distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking deviates from the target distance between the first test workpiece marking and the second test workpiece marking.