PURPOSE: To prevent the generation of dead time by enabling control of the optimum deceleration section of an unloader by the unit of a metal plate in accordance with the projecting amount of the metal plate accompanying reclamping with a work holder or the like.

CONSTITUTION: The data α of the projecting amount which is an accumulated value at the time of executing relamping with the work holder 13 are preliminarily inputted into the working program 33 of the punch press 1. These data αare received with the sequencer 37 of a transportation controller 32 and, by collating the data with the present position of the unloader 27, the deceleration starting position of the unloader 27 is set in an arbitrary position where the projecting amount α of metal plate is taken into consideration. The unloader 27 has a sensor 29a for detecting the presence or absence of the metal plate on the gripper part 29 and gripping and drawing-out are started in response to the detection of the metal plate. Reclamping is executed by pressing the metal plate W with a pressing device 10 and moving the work holder 13 in the holding releasing state when the metal plate W is such a long size material as the metal plate W whose length is over the X axial stroke.