workpieces are unloaded from a workpiece support of a sheet metal workpiece processing apparatus by positioning a blank sheet metal workpiece over a processed workpiece supported on a workpiece support , with the blank workpiece releasably held by a workpiece loader , activating a workpiece fixing device to engage an edge of the processed workpiece , and performing a relative sweeping movement between the workpiece fixing device and the workpiece support whereby the engaged processed workpiece is prevented from remaining on the workpiece support and is thereby unloaded . the workpiece fixing device is moved relative to the processed workpiece while the blank sheet metal workpiece is positioned over the processed workpiece .