Manipulator device for a bending machine and a method for changing the position of the workpiece in a bending process

A method of automatically changing orientation of a workpiece with respect to a bending machine for bending the workpiece in order to perform bendings on opposite longitudinal edges and in opposite directions in the workpiece to form a processed workpiece, comprising the steps of:

• placing the workpiece in front of the bending machine with a longitudinal edge of said workpiece disposed parallel to a horizontal bending axis of the bending machine;
• clamping the workpiece along the opposite longitudinal edge thereof by means of a clamping means;
• rotating the clamping means and the workpiece gripped thereby about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the bending axis of the bending machine;
• moving the clamping means toward the bending machine in order to transfer the workpiece to another clamping means;
• moving the other clamping means in the vertical direction and toward the clamping means in order to receive the workpiece from the clamping means;
• clamping the workpiece by means of the other clamping means along a shorter edge of the workpiece;
• rotating the other clamping means and the workpiece gripped thereby about a horizontal axis parallel to the bending axis of the bending machine;
• and
• moving the other clamping means and the gripped workpiece in the direction parallel to the bending axis in order to unload the processed workpiece.