Patent ID: 7103955

Claim:
A machining line, comprising: a plurality of machining centers arrayed side-by-side and a workpiece holding center at a front end of the machine center array, each machining center having a machining apparatus comprising: a table for fixably mounting a workpiece; a plurality of machining tools, each of said machining tools being of a different type and being capable of performing a different type of machining for the workpiece; a workpiece holding jig for holding the workpiece; and a machining tool holder for removably holding and driving one of the plurality of machining tools to machine the workpiece and for removably holding and driving the workpiece holding jig to grasp a machined workpiece on the table and to raise the machined workpiece to a raised position above the table; and a tool changer for removing one of the plurality of machining tools from the tool holder, for retrieving a different machining tool from among the plurality of machining tools, and for fitting the retrieved machining tool to the tool holder; and the machining line further comprising a robot movable along the machining line for, in sequence at a first machining center, picking up a first workpiece from the workpiece holding center, placing the first workpiece on the table of the first machining center, after machining of the first workpiece picking up a second workpiece from the workpiece holding center, placing the second workpiece on the table of the first machining center, and grasping the machined first workpiece in the raised position and removing the machined first workpiece from the workpiece holding jig.