A device is configured for changing electrode caps of a welding unit. The device includes at least one reserve unit configured to hold in reserve electrode caps which are required for welding with the welding unit. The device also includes a cap changing unit configured to change an electrode cap mounted on a welding tool for another electrode cap held in reserve in the reserve unit. The cap changing unit is configured to arrange the electrode cap demounted from the welding tool in the at least one reserve unit.

To provide a tool transfer apparatus including gripping force measuring unit for tool holding unit of a tool accommodation apparatus and a machining system including the tool transfer apparatus, a handling robot can perform operation of detaching a tool from a grip positioned at a tool attachment/detachment position of a tool magazine in a machine tool and transferring the tool to a tool stocker, and operation of transferring a tool from the tool stocker and attaching the tool to a grip positioned at the tool attachment/detachment position of the tool magazine. A hand portion of the handling robot is provided with a force sensor, which can detect a load applied to the hand portion. Also, a control apparatus of the handling robot and a control apparatus of the machine tool are connected via a data cable capable of transmission and reception of information.

This tool exchange device for a machine tool uses an exchange arm to exchange tools between a processing area and a tool accommodation area which are partitioned by a partition wall provided with an opening and a shutter capable of opening and closing the opening. In the tool exchange device, an imaging device is used to capture an image of a tool in the tool accommodation area, the length of the tool is calculated from the captured image of the tool, the opening width of the shutter is determined in accordance with the length of the tool, and the shutter is opened to the determined opening width.

In a machine tool in which a spindle head is driven by a spindle head drive motor via a ball screw/nut mechanism, tools of different weights are each installed in the spindle head beforehand, a load torque applied to the spindle head drive motor is obtained, and relational data between the tool weight and the load torque is stored. When each tool is installed in the spindle head, the weight of the tool is estimated from, the load torque detected by a load torque detection unit while the spindle head is stopped, and the relational data between the tool weight and load torque.

A position compensation system of a tool changer includes a storage unit for storing a coordinate indicating a reference position of a turret, a rotary position coordinate detector for detecting the rotary position coordinate of the turret, a compensation necessity determiner for determining whether or not it is necessary to perform a rotational compensation to return the turret to the reference position, in accordance with a rotational deviation of the detected rotary position coordinate from the stored rotary position coordinate, and a compensation request part for requesting an operation or work related to the rotational compensation when it is determined that the rotational compensation needs to be performed.

A container treatment system (1, 13) that has at least two working areas (AP). Each of the working areas (AP) respectively comprises at least one exchangeable working tool (2) and/or one adaptable format part. Furthermore, the container treatment system (1, 13) comprises at least one automatic exchange machine (10) which is movable, in particular drivable, to the at least two working areas (AP), which automatic exchange machine (10) can be connected selectively to any of the respective working areas (AP), in particular using centering means (22, 32), and which automatic exchange machine (10) comprises tools for exchanging the working tools (2) and/or for adapting the format parts of the respective working area (AP). The invention further relates to an automatic exchange machine (10) for exchanging working tools (2) and/or for adapting the format parts of at least two different working areas (AP) of a container treatment system (1, 13).

A machine tool includes a spindle device; a shutter which is disposed between a tool magazine disposed over a machining chamber and the machining chamber, and is capable of opening and closing; a tool exchange device; and a tool breakage detecting device to detect whether a tool indexed to a tool detecting position of the tool magazine has breakage or not, and performs a return step of returning a first tool to the tool magazine with use of the tool exchange device; an attachment step of attaching a second tool to the spindle device; and a breakage detecting step of rotatively moving the first tool returned to the tool magazine to the tool detecting position and detecting breakage of the first tool with use of the tool breakage detecting device, after the shutter is closed. This constitution can prevent erroneous detection and improve the operational efficiency of the machine tool.

In order to be suitable for space-saving of a multi-functional processing machine in which a tool main spindle device is disposed at a center of an opposed biaxial lathe, there is provided an automatic tool exchanger provided in the multi-functional processing machine, the automatic tool exchanger including: a tool magazine that is disposed in a machine body front surface upper portion of the multi-functional processing machine and is configured to house multiple tools for exchange with respect to the tool main spindle device; a shift device configured to move the tool between the tool magazine and a tool exchanging position with respect to the tool main spindle device; and a tool changer configured to exchange the tool between the shift device and the tool main spindle device.