A machine tool includes a spindle, a tool exchanger that attaches or detaches one of tools to or from the spindle, a spindle mover that moves the spindle to one of tool exchange coordinates when the one of the tools is to be attached or detached by the tool exchanger, and a tool exchange controller that controls, when the one of the tools is to be attached or detached by the tool exchanger, the spindle mover so as to move, on the basis of a first tool exchange coordinate associated with an attaching-target tool to be attached to the spindle and a second tool exchange coordinate associated with a detaching-target tool to be detached from the spindle, among a preliminarily-set plurality of the tool exchange coordinates respectively associated with the tools, the spindle to one of the tool exchange coordinates that are the first tool exchange coordinate and the second tool exchange coordinate, whichever is farther from a machining point.

A tool changer has a master mount and a tool mount. The tool mount includes a guide to be received in a slot in the master mount. A tapered surface on the tool mount leads the tool mount into the master mount. A latch is coupled with the master mount. The latch moves between a locked and unlocked position. A notch is present on the tool mount to receive the latch. Upon coupling, the latch is received into the notch.

A cutting apparatus includes a blade changing unit demounting an old cutting blade from a blade mount and mounting a new cutting blade to the blade mount. The blade changing unit includes a blade holder for holding a support base of each cutting blade and a moving portion for moving the blade holder in the axial direction of a boss portion of the blade mount in the condition where each cutting blade is held by the blade holder, thereby mounting the new cutting blade to the boss portion or demounting the old cutting blade from the boss portion. The cutting apparatus further includes a control unit controlling the blade changing unit. The control unit measures a signal indicating a force applied to the moving portion in mounting or demounting, and determines the condition of the blade changing unit and blade mount according to the signal measured by the measuring portion.

A machine tool includes: a tool magazine that stores a plurality of tools; a spindle that holds one of the plurality of tools stored in the tool magazine; a glossiness measurement unit that measures glossiness of a tapered outer surface of a taper shank of each of the plurality of tools; a deterioration determination unit that determines whether or not the tapered outer surface is deteriorated on the basis of the glossiness measured by the glossiness measurement unit; and a notification unit that notifies an operator of deterioration of the tapered outer surface if it is determined by the deterioration determination unit that the tapered outer surface is deteriorated.

A surgical instrument. The surgical instrument includes an end effector that comprises a staple channel and an anvil that is movably translatable relative to the staple channel. A tool mounting portion is configured to interface with a robotic system and operably communicate with the end effector. The instrument further includes a first sensor that has an output that represents a first condition of a portion of the robotic system. A second sensor has an output that represents a position of the anvil. A third sensor has an output that represents a position of a reciprocating knife within the end effector. An externally accessible memory device communicates with the first, second and third sensors.

A method includes feeding material in wire, rod or band form to a bending head through the a guiding nozzle of a feeding device and bending the material via a bending die. The bent material is taken out of the bending machine by a robot gripper arm controlled via a control device, and the bending die and/or the guiding nozzle is removed from the bending machine by a, preferably the same, robot gripper arm. Optionally, a further bending die and/or a further guiding nozzle is arranged on the bending machine by a, preferably the same, robot gripper arm. Optionally, the material is fed to the bending head through the further guiding nozzle and/or bent via the further bending die. Optionally, the bent material is removed from the bending machine by a, preferably the same, robot gripper arm.

A belt transmission mechanism with improved rigidity comprises a pedestal, a sliding base, a driving unit, a positioning belt, and a transmission belt. The sliding base is disposed on the pedestal, and reciprocatively moves along a linear direction. The driving unit is disposed on the sliding base. The positioning belt and the transmission belt are disposed on the pedestal and comprise a gear rack, respectively. A detouring section of the transmission belt is separated from the positioning belt, and transmissibly meshed with the driving wheel of the driving unit. When the driving wheel rotates, the detouring section is driven to continuously shift on the transmission belt, and the sliding base is simultaneously driven to slide on the pedestal along the linear direction. Thus, a combination of the positioning belt and the transmission belt achieves an improved rigidity.

A machine tool is disclosed. The machine tool includes a robot which is compact and which enables easy use of different end effectors for respective purposes. An internal robot includes a plurality of joints that are composed of a base joint and parallel joints, and a plurality of links. The distal end is split into two or more branches, each having a tool changer. An end effector is detachably attachable to each of the tool changers. Rotation of the base joint causes a change between a first tool-following position and a second tool-following position, so that different end effectors are used for respective purposes by using an end effector attached to a tool changer in the first tool-following position and using an end effector attached to another tool changer in the second tool-following position.

A tool exchanging arm includes an arm main body, a fixed claw formed at both end portions of the arm main body, a movable claw pivotably supported on the arm main body, a first connecting member having a first end pivotally attached to a distal end portion of the movable claw, and a second connecting member having a first end pivotally attached to a second end of the first connecting member and a second end pivotally supported on the arm main body, in which an intermediate portion of the second connecting member comes into contact with an entering side portion of the tool and is pressed by rotation of the arm main body, and the movable claw pivots via the first connecting member pivotally attached to the second connecting member to grip the tool together with the fixed claw.

A change device for changing or exchanging of tools and/or workpieces. The change device has a gripper device with at least one gripper arm that extends away from a rotation support body that is rotatably supported about the rotation axis and that has a holder for respectively one tool or one workpiece at its free end. By means of a rotary power train with a rotary drive motor and a rotary drive transmission, the gripper device can be rotated about the rotation axis. Particularly the rotary drive transmission has a belt gear. A first rotary position sensor is directly or indirectly coupled with the rotation support body and/or transmission output of the rotary drive transmission without interconnection of the rotary drive transmission for detection of the rotary position of the gripper device about the rotation axis.