Patent ID: 7065856

Claim:
The process of producing engineering components from workpieces by the removal of material therefrom by means of a plurality of data-controlled machine tools, each of which has automatic means for locating and securing thereon a common workpiece holder, said machine tools being complementary to each other in relation to the machining operations to be carried out on the workpieces; said process comprising: securing each workpiece to a workpiece holder in a predetermined position and attitude with respect to the workpiece holder, delivering each workpiece holder to storage means and storing each workpiece holder so that each workpiece is selectively accessible; selecting each workpiece holder from said storage means; presenting each of said selected workpiece holders to a selection of said machine tools in predetermined sequence; automatically and sequentially locating and securing each of said selected workpiece holders at a predetermined location and attitude in each of said selected machine tools and subsequently performing programmed machining operations on said workpiece in each of said selected machine tools while said workpiece holder is so located and secured therein.