Machining system

Abstract

A machining system comprising a plurality of different kinds of single purpose machining units arranged at plural machining stations located along a transfer path, and a transfer apparatus for transferring plural kinds of workpieces along the transfer path so as to position each of the workpieces at plural machining stations successively for machinings by the plural single purpose machining units. The machining system is provided with a return conveyor or a transfer vehicle for transferring the workpieces along a return path from the end of the transfer path to a workpiece unloading station, and a numerically controlled general purpose machine tool arranged adjacent to the return path. The general purpose machine carries out special machinings which cannot be carried out by the single purpose machining units for machining some workpieces which require such special machinings. Workpieces which do not require the special machinings are directly transferred from the end of the transfer path to the workpiece unloading station. The general purpose machine also memorizes plural numerical control programs corresponding to machinings carried by the single purpose machining units, and selectively carries out the numerical control programs when a malfunction occurs in one of the single purpose machining units.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.