Weighing system, manufacturing device and method of operating a manufacturing device for workpieces

A manufacturing device for workpieces, comprising a material feed unit, a forming unit and a rejection unit, wherein the forming unit has at least one forming station with at least one forming tool and at least one pressing device, wherein the at least one forming tool is held on the pressing device and is movable by the pressing device in a motor-driven manner, and wherein at least one control unit is provided to control and/or regulate at least one unit and/or one device,

• wherein a weighing system for determining weighing data of at least one workpiece and/or at least one workpiece stack is comprised, wherein the weighing system is arranged in the forming unit and/or after the forming unit;
• wherein the weighing system comprises a scale, at least one carrier element for positioning a group of horizontally adjacent workpieces or horizontally adjacent workpiece stacks, and an evaluation unit connected to the scale, for receiving and utilizing detected weighing data;
• and
• wherein the scale comprises at least three support elements for the at least one carrier element, wherein the at least three support elements comprise force measuring sensors, wherein the at least three support elements are connected to the at least one carrier element in a contact pattern with three contact points that are not in a row, and wherein the at least three support elements and/or their force measuring sensors are operable to send measured values to the evaluation unit, the evaluation unit being configured to determine a total weight and a horizontal weight distribution based thereon.

A method of operating a manufacturing device, comprising the steps of:

• provisioning a starting material
• introducing the starting material into a forming unit, the forming unit having at least one forming station with at least one forming tool and at least one pressing device,
• forming at least one workpiece using the at least one forming tool,
• wherein downstream of the forming station, a total weight and a horizontal weight distribution of at least one workpiece or workpiece stack positioned on a carrier element is detected by a scale of a weighing system;
• and
• wherein the scale comprises at least three support elements for the carrier element, wherein the at least three support elements comprise force measuring sensors, wherein the at least three support elements are connected to the carrier element in a contact pattern with three contact points that are not in a row, and wherein the at least three support elements and/or their force measuring sensors send measured values to an evaluation unit, the evaluation unit determining the total weight and the horizontal weight distribution based thereon.