Patent ID: 8341990

Claim:
A method of processing a plate workpiece, the method comprising: supporting the plate workpiece on a workpiece support; forming a formed shape in the plate workpiece while the plate workpiece is supported on the workpiece support using a forming tool, the formed shape extending upwardly or downwardly from a support plane of the workpiece support, the forming tool being secured to a tool die holder and a tool punch holder, the tool die holder and the tool punch holder being tool holders to which different tools can be secured; replacing the forming tool with a punching tool, the punching tool comprising a tool die and a tool punch, the tool die being secured to the tool die holder and the tool punch being secured to the tool punch holder; and after replacing the forming tool with the punching tool, moving the tool die and the tool punch of the punching tool along a stroke axis, toward a processing position above or below the support plane, and into contact with the plate workpiece in a region of the formed shape, thereby processing the plate workpiece in the region of the formed shape.