An automatic tool changer (ATC) serves as an ATC for automatically changing a tool attached to a lower tool rest of a machine tool. The ATC includes a robot arm and a movement mechanism unit moving the robot arm between inside and outside of a machining area. The robot arm has a base unit coupled to the movement mechanism unit, an arm unit pivotably coupled to the base unit, and a gripping unit provided in the arm unit and detachably gripping the tool. The arm unit is formed to extend in an arm shape from the base unit toward the gripping unit, and swings on a pivot axis as a fulcrum relative to the base unit. By such a configuration, an ATC implementing an automatic change of a tool by a simple and compact mechanism and a machine tool including such an ATC are provided.

The device and the corresponding method according to the invention relate in particular to a CNC machine tool and a machining method preferably for large machining patterns. The CNC machine tool may comprise a machining head 2 which may be connected to a Z-axis 1 such that it can be manually and/or automatically changed, and which may have at least two tool spindles 3 for receiving tools 4. The Z-axis 1 can be moved in a linear manner at least along two linear axial directions. The Z-axis 1 and/or the machining head 2 may have at least one axis of rotation.

A servo-driven tool unclamping system for a machine tool contains: a tool changing unit, a tool unclamp unit, and a servo control unit. The tool changing unit includes a cam box, a first servo motor for driving the cam box, a driving shaft driven by the cam box, and a tool change arm driven by the driving shaft. The tool unclamp unit includes a spindle, a transmission assembly, and a second servo motor. The servo control unit includes a main controller, a first servo drive and a second servo drive both electrically connected with and controlled by the main controller. The first servo drive and the second servo drive are also electrically coupled with the first servo motor and the second servo motor and numerically control the tool changing unit and the tool unclamp unit, hence the tool change arm operates, and the spindle clamps and unclamps each tool.

A tool changer includes a holding member having a tool change arm, a rotating mechanism for rotating the holding member, a forward/backward moving mechanism for moving the holding member forward and backward, and a controller controlling the mechanisms. A zero return controller determines whether the tool change arm is holding tools. When it is not holding tools, the tool change arm is rotated to a predetermined non-interference angle, the tool change arm is translated to a forward/backward movement zero point, and the tool change arm is rotated to a rotation zero point. When it is holding tools, the tool change arm is translated to a forward end, the tool change arm is rotated to position it on an expected path, and the tool change arm is moved along the expected path, thereby moving the tool change arm to the rotation zero point and the forward/backward movement zero point.

A tool changer includes a tool magazine, a support shaft disposed to have a center axis parallel to an axis of a tool spindle, a drive mechanism for rotating the support shaft about the center axis and moving the support shaft in the axial direction, three tool change arms fixed to the support shaft and each having a tool holding unit, a tool transfer mechanism for transferring a tool pot from the tool magazine to a standby position, and a provisional placing pot disposed at a provisional placing position. The tool changer starts a tool change operation in a state where a tool to be attached to the tool spindle, a tool to be used next, and a tool to be used after the next tool are held by the tool holding units of the tool change arms.

A tool holding part holds two boring bars in a manner in which axes of the boring bars are parallel to a spindle axis. A tool change mechanism has a circular arc movement mechanism in which the boring bar moves from a tool holding position to a tool change position by at least a circular arc movement on a plane surface including an axis of the spindle in the tool change position and an axis of the boring bar positioned in the tool holding part.

A changer (100) for tools (112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162) or workpieces of a machine tool includes a plurality of holders (111, 121, 131, 141) for tools (112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162) or workpieces, which are arranged rotatably about a common axis of rotation (D), in which the relative position of the holders (111, 121, 131, 141) for tools (112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162) or workpieces to one another is variable, so that the distance between a first holder (111, 121, 131, 141) and the holders (111, 121, 131, 141) for tools (112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162) or workpieces neighboring this first holder (121, 131, 141, 111) for tools (112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162) or workpieces is different at different positions of the first holder (111, 121, 131, 141) for tools (112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162) or workpieces.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in a machine tool, a tool changer that can quickly investigate and recover a stop of a change arm when a failure occurs during a change operation of a tool post and the change arm stops. In order to accomplish the object, this invention provides a tool changer provided in a machine tool and including a change arm 5 that performs a tool change operation from a first tool 2 of a tool post 1 to a second tool 4 of a replacement tool holder 3, wherein when an abnormality is detected during the tool change operation from the first tool 2 to the second tool 4, the tool change operation that has been stopped is performed in reverse order to return the change arm 5 to a state before the abnormality detection.

A machine tool changer includes a manipulator; a manipulator mounting arm; a manipulator mounting base; a manipulator rotation driving mechanism; a manipulator swinging driving mechanism; and a manipulator horizontal moving driving mechanism. The manipulator is mounted on the manipulator mounting arm, which is mounted with the manipulator rotation driving mechanism for driving the manipulator to rotate around a horizontal axis. The manipulator mounting arm is mounted on the manipulator mounting arm, which is mounted with a manipulator swinging driving mechanism for driving the manipulator mounting arm to swing around the horizontal axis. The manipulator mounting base is mounted with the manipulator horizontal moving driving mechanism for driving the manipulator mounting base to move horizontally to make the manipulator approach or move away from a machine tool spindle.

The present invention relates to a tool transport system for exchanging tools between a central tool magazine and one or more machine tools. A guided transport module P can be moved between different stops by means of a supporting guide. The transport module P has a transport platform PT with at least one tool transport strip E2 for holding a plurality of tools W. The transport platform PT is downwardly spaced apart, in the vertical direction, from the transport module P and from the supporting guide F.