The present disclosure relates to a machine tool, such as a moving column-type machining center, and a method of operating the same, which are capable of shortening tool change time, improving productivity, minimizing a collision or mechanical interference, and increasing stability and reliability in a medium-sized or large-sized machine tool having a long length in a width direction by means of a magazine installed on a saddle, a tool changing unit movably installed on the saddle, and a tool changing unit transfer part configured to move the tool changing unit independently of a column.

A cutting blade supplying apparatus includes a cutting blade stocker that stocks a plurality of cutting blades; a carrying unit that carries out the cutting blade from the cutting blade stocker and carries the cutting blade to a cutting apparatus, a transferring unit that transfers the cutting blade carried by the carrying unit to a cutting blade replacing unit of the cutting apparatus, and a control unit. The cutting blade stocker includes a cutting blade case that accommodates the cutting blades each of which includes a mounting port formed in a center thereof to be mounted to a spindle and a cutting edge formed at an outer periphery of the mounting port, and a cutting blade case mounting unit on which to mount the cutting blade case.

A method for the computer-aided optimization of tool transports for at least one tool magazine having a number of magazine locations, which is used for a machine tool for the production of one or more workpieces with the aid of the tools provided by a magazine device at a provision location, the method including: a) detecting a quantity of tools, b) determining the space required for each tool, c) detecting a quantity of occupiable magazine locations for each tool, d) detecting a permissible output magazine occupancy e) detecting the permissible target magazine occupancy, f) detecting a quantity of transport durations required for a journey of the magazine device, g) determining a partial quantity of tool transports for which a transport sequence is specifiable so that the tools are movable in the transport sequence, h) optimizing the transport sequence for the partial quantity of tool transports.

When the number of machining operations using a tool attached to a machining head of a machine tool has reached a predetermined number of machining operations for replacement, without a determination unit determining that an abnormality has occurred in the tool, then the tool is replaced with a replacement tool that is held in a tool magazine. Further, the tool removed from the machining head is returned to the tool magazine and stored as an auxiliary replacement tool. Then, if the determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the replacement tool, the replacement tool is replaced with the auxiliary replacement tool.

A fast tool changing method with pre-unclamping step for controlling operations of the spindle, tool unclamping cylinder, and tool changing arm. The spindle has one end clamping the tool at the clamping position. The method includes following steps. In a tool pre-unclamping step, the clamp end of the spindle moves the used tool to a pre-unclamping position; the tool unclamping cylinder pushes the used tool to leave a taper of the spindle. In a tool changing step, the tool changing arm rotates to clamp the used tool and pulls the used tool away from the clamp end, and further aligns a target tool with the clamp end. In a tool inserting step, the tool changing arm inserts the target tool into the clamp end, to be clamped therein. Therefore, the tool unclamping and tool clamping operations are accelerated.

A universal rotating chuck system capable of accommodating multiple small-batch or one-off machining jobs, involving workpieces of different diameter and composition, comprises a rotating chuck having multiple jaws that may be adjusted positionally inward or outward towards the longitudinal centerline of the workpiece or removed entirely. The chuck is rotated by a dual-motor system driving an inner and outer shaft, where the inner shaft is selectively coupled to the outer shafts to rotate independently and adjust the jaws, or rotate alongside the outer shaft to rotate the chuck. In operation, the system is capable of conducting numerous machining operations independent of direct user intervention, including loading/unloading workpieces, loading/unloading tools, measuring tools and workpieces for quality control, and storage.

This machine tool has a tool changing device, and sequentially changes tools to machine a workpiece. The machine tool comprises: an input unit which receives a machining program output from a CAM system and tool basic data; a storage unit which stores the tool basic data received from the input unit for each tool number; a tool measuring device which measures the size of a tool loaded into a tool magazine of the tool changing device; and a determination unit which compares the tool basic data stored in the storage unit and the actual data measured by the measuring device, and determines that the measured tool is different from a desired tool if the difference between the two tool sizes is beyond a preset allowable range.

A machining apparatus includes: a shuttle unit (3) that holds a differential case (10) and rotates the differential case (10); a pair of opposed right and left machining units (4); and a tool support (6) that supports a tool (40) for machining the differential case (10), in which the pair of right and left machining units (4) each include a slide mechanism dedicated for uniaxial sliding in right and left directions, the shuttle unit (3) is movable in up and down directions and front and back directions, a tool attached to each of the pair of right and left machining units (4) enables machining an end portion of an inner surface of the differential case (10) and a flange hole of the differential case (10), the end portion surrounding a through hole, and a cutting edge of the tool (40) supported by the tool support (6) enables spherically cutting the inner surface of the differential case (10) held and rotated by the shuttle unit (3).

A tool transport system includes a machine tool, a tool storage unit that stores a plurality of tool holders, a work station, a transport device (300) that transports a designated tool holder to a designated transport destination, and a controller that controls the tool transport system. On the basis of receiving a collection instruction for tool holder, the controller executes a process of specifying a tool holder holding a tool in an unusable state among tool holders in the machine tool, a process of controlling the transport device so as to carry the tool holder out of the machine tool at a higher priority than other tool holders in the machine tool, and a process of controlling the transport device so as to transport the carried-out tool holder to the tool storage unit or the work station.

A tool transport system includes a display unit, a plurality of machine tools, a tool storage unit, a transport device for transporting a designated tool among tools stored in the tool storage unit to a designated machine tool among the plurality of machine tools and a controller for controlling the tool transport system. The controller executes a process of acquiring stocked tool information defining identification information of each tool stocked by the tool transport system, a process of specifying a plurality of tools to be used in the plurality of machine tools on the basis of a machining schedule of workpiece in the plurality of machine tools, a process of specifying an unstocked tool that is not defined in the stocked tool information among the plurality of tools to be used, and a process of displaying identification information of the unstocked tool on the display unit.