Forging machine with robotic handler

An apparatus, comprising:

• a progressive forming machine having a station with a cutoff cassette for cutting blanks from a supply of wire stock or bar stock, a plurality of workstations with tooling cassettes for forming the blanks, a transfer slide for transporting the blanks to successive workstations, and a transfer camshaft for operating the transfer slide;
• a robot for automatically changing the cutoff cassette, the tooling cassettes, the transfer slide, and the transfer camshaft, wherein the robot comprises an arm with a flange, and a coupling device on the flange;
• a first fixture for engaging the transfer slide, the first fixture having a first tool plate that interfaces with a master plate mounted on the flange when transporting the transfer slide to and from the progressive forming machine by the robot;
• and
• a second fixture for engaging the transfer camshaft, the second fixture having a second tool plate that interfaces with the master plate when transporting the transfer camshaft to and from the progressive forming machine by the robot, wherein
• the cutoff cassette and the tooling cassettes each having a respective coupling element engageable by the coupling device to enable the cutoff cassette and the tooling cassettes to be transported to and from the progressive forming machine by the robot.