Robotic manufacturing unit

A fixturing system for use with a robotic manufacturing unit having a stand defining a working space and accommodating a rigid, substantially plane working surface;

• means, supported by said stand above said working surface, and having an output member adapted to controllably move in three-dimensional space;
• a tool-holding and changing member attached to said output member and adapted to clampingly retain shanks of carriers of tools;
• and a tool tray adapted to accommodate a plurality of tools mounted on tool carriers and, in coordination with said tool holding and changing member, to move along guide means from a position of rest, in which said tray is located outside of said working space, to a position of tool pickup and return, in which said tray is substantially located within said working space and above said working surface;
• wherein said tool-holding and changing member and said shanks fit into one another and have non-circular cross-sections uniquely and reproducibly defining, when said shanks are clampingly retained, the relative angular positions of said tool-holding and changing member and said shanks;
• said fixturing system comprising:
• a body block attachable to said working surface by vacuum suction and incorporating a vacuum chamber to provide a vacuum reservoir for said vacuum suction and a compressed-air chamber for actuating spring-loaded plunger means to provide a clamping force acting on a clamping jaw;
• first normally closed valve means to retain the vacuum in said vacuum reservoir once attained;
• second normally closed valve means to release said vacuum for detaching said body block from said working surface;
• third normally closed valve means for retaining said compressed air in said compressed-air chamber once introduced thereinto for producing said clamping force and for releasing said compressed air for eliminating said clamping force;
• a handling block having shank means adapted to be held by said tool-holding and changing member;
• first vacuum connectors to temporarily attach said body block to said handling block by vacuum suction;
• second vacuum connectors to evacuate said vacuum chamber;
• a compressed-air connector for supplying said compressed-air chamber;
• first actuator means to open normally closed second valve means;
• and
• second actuator means to open said normally closed third valve means;
• wherein said body block is located on said fixture tray and can be moved therefrom to be placed onto said working surface by the use, in conjunction with said tool-holding changing member, of said handling block.