Method for positioning a work piece carrier member in a machining apparatus and a work piece carrier member adapted to be positioned in a machining apparatus

A method for positioning a work piece carrier member with work pieces received therein in a machining apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• determining and recording the coordinates of each of said work pieces received in said work piece carrier member with reference to a virtual coordinate system in a measuring and aligning station prior to positionally fixing said work piece carrier member in said machining apparatus, said virtual coordinate system being defined by at least two reference marks provided on said work piece carrier member which are a horizontal distance from each other;
• transmitting the coordinates of each of said work pieces determined and recorded in said measuring and aligning station to said machining apparatus;
• inserting the work piece carrier member into the machining apparatus in a position which corresponds at least approximately to a preselected nominal position and positionally fixing said work piece carrier member in said position;
• determining the coordinates of an effective position for said work piece carrier member in said machining apparatus by scanning said at least two reference marks with regard to a nominal reference coordinate system of said machining apparatus and storing the coordinates of said effective position in said machining apparatus;
• and
• arithmetically superimposing said virtual coordinate system defined by said at least two reference marks provided on said work piece carrier member, together with the coordinates of each of said work pieces received in said work piece carrier member, onto said reference coordinate system of said machining apparatus.