This method, for controlling a machine tool using a tool holder to which a coolant pipe is attached, includes: a step of detecting, in response to a signal indicating that a tool is prepared on a tool loading station of the machine tool, whether or not an abnormality has occurred in attaching the coolant pipe to the tool holder of the tool while the tool holder is at the tool loading station; and a step of issuing an alarm when the abnormality is detected in the step of detecting the occurrence of the abnormality.

A gripping device is provided in a turret-type tool magazine of a machine tool and grips a tool or a tool holder that holds the tool. The gripping device includes: a pair of arms configured to grip the tool or the tool holder by pinching the tool or the tool holder between the arms, a main body part configured to support the pair of arms so that each of the paired arms swings in the pinching directions to pinch the tool or the tool holder between the arms; and an angle detector configured to detect a physical quantity indicating a swing angle of the arm.

This tool exchange device for a machine tool uses an exchange arm to exchange tools between a processing area and a tool accommodation area. In the tool exchange device, an imaging device is used to capture an image of a tool in the tool accommodation area, operation parameters for the exchange arm when the exchange arm is used to exchange the tools are determined from the captured image of the tool, and the exchange arm is operated on the basis of the operation parameters to exchange the tool.

A replacement blade supplying mechanism (51) includes a detection portion (75) which detects whether or not there is a cutting blade (21) in a layer below an uppermost cutting blade (21d) through a through hole (21b) of the uppermost cutting blade (21d) when the uppermost cutting blade (21d) is extruded by a lever portion (54), and when the detection portion (75) detects that there is no cutting blade (21) in a layer below the uppermost cutting blade (21d), the detection portion stops the transport of the cutting blade (21) by a cutting blade transport mechanism (26).

The invention relates to a tool changing device (1) for a forming press (2), in particular a press brake, comprising at least one tool magazine (3, 4) and at least one transfer device (5, 6) for the transfer of the forming tools (7, 8) of the at least one tool magazine (3, 4), which are storable in the at least one tool magazine (3, 4), from the at least one tool magazine (3, 4) to the forming press (2) and in the reverse direction, wherein the at least one transfer device (5, 6) has a drivable thrust chain (9, 10) for the transmission of compressive and tensile forces.

A tool shape measurement device includes: a contour detection unit that detects a tool contour from an image of a rotating tool that is taken; an axis direction calculation unit that calculates a tool axis direction that is an axis direction of the rotating tool on the basis of the tool contour; a tool diameter measurement unit that calculates an apparent tool diameter of the rotating tool on an imaging surface on the basis of a calibrated positional and postural relationship between an imaging device and the rotating tool, the tool axis direction, and the tool contour; and a tool diameter correction unit that calculates a distance between the imaging device and the rotating tool using the tool axis direction, and corrects the apparent tool diameter to an actual tool diameter by correcting distortion in the tool contour on the basis of the distance.

An intellectual automatic tool changer (ATC) speed moderating system, which is disposed between a tool magazine and a tool exchanging arm, includes an image capture device for capturing the image of tools, and a processing device connected with the image capturing device. The processing device includes a receiving module for receiving the images of tools, a calculating module for calculating an assessment value of a tool according to the image of the tool, and a signal transmitting module connected with a controller of the tool exchanging arm for transmitting the assessment value of the tool to the controller. Therefore, the tool changing speed of the tool changing arm is controlled and moderated.

This method, for controlling a machine tool using a tool holder to which a coolant pipe is attached, includes: a step of detecting, in response to a signal indicating that a tool is prepared on a tool loading station of the machine tool, whether or not an abnormality has occurred in attaching the coolant pipe to the tool holder of the tool while the tool holder is at the tool loading station; and a step of issuing an alarm when the abnormality is detected in the step of detecting the occurrence of the abnormality.

A machine tool (1) includes a tool information storage (9) storing therein used tool information for, when an NC program execution part (5) executes an NC program, specifying a tool used for machining, and a magazine operation panel (18) includes an announcement part (18b) for announcing an alarm to an operator. When receiving an operation signal from an input part (18a) while the NC program execution part (5) is executing an NC program, a tool change control part (11) checks the used tool information stored in the tool information storage (9), and in the case where a tool held by a tool pot (17a) corresponding to the operation signal is not used for machining, moves the tool pot (17a) to a tool attachment/detachment position (17c), and in the case where the tool is used for machining, causes the announcement part (18a) to announce an alarm indicating that it is unavailable.

An intellectual automatic tool changer (ATC) speed moderating system, which is disposed between a tool magazine and a tool exchanging arm, includes an image capture device for capturing the image of tools, and a processing device connected with the image capturing device. The processing device includes a receiving module for receiving the images of tools, a calculating module for calculating an assessment value of a tool according to the image of the tool, and a signal transmitting module connected with a controller of the tool exchanging arm for transmitting the assessment value of the tool to the controller. Therefore, the tool changing speed of the tool changing arm is controlled and moderated.