Flexible manufacturing and workpiece transfer system

Apparatus for applying a series of machining operations to a workpiece, comprising:

• an operator station for affixing workpieces to respective fixtures, said fixtures registering and retaining said workpieces during said series of machining operations;
• at least two machining stations, each machining station configured to receive said fixtures and performing respective machining operations, said at least two machining stations include top-entry openings for receiving said fixtures in a generally vertical direction with respect to said at least two machining stations;
• a gantry system mounted above said at least two machining stations and including a plurality of movable carriages running proximate to said at least two machining stations and said operator station, said gantry system receiving said fixtures for conveyance between and among said operator station and said at least two machining stations;
• and
• a main controller communicating with said operator station, said at least two machining stations, and said gantry system, said main controller monitoring status of said workpiece and being programmed with a sequence for applying predetermined ones of said machining operations to said workpiece, said main controller commanding said gantry system to convey said fixture to said at least two machining stations, commanding said at least two machining stations to perform a selected one of said machining operations, and commanding said gantry system to return said fixture to said operator station;
• wherein each of said fixtures has a predetermined fixture design for carrying said workpieces and each of said at least two machining stations has a corresponding fixture-holder design so that said workpieces remain affixed to the same fixture during said machining operations at said at least two machining stations;
• wherein at least one of said carriages has at least two arms, each arm having a clamp for releasably grasping one of said fixtures, whereby a first fixture having a first workpiece is removed from a first machining station of said at least two machining stations by one of said arms after said first workpiece has been machined at said first machining station and then a second fixture having a second workpiece is inserted in said first machining station by another one of said arms for machining at said first machining station without substantially relocating said carriage;
• and
• wherein said carriages include servo-mechanisms to control three-dimensional movement of said arms.