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 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 exchange device for tool magazine includes a base having a driving member, a pressure cylinder, a movement member pivotally connected to the base adjacent to the driving member, and a tool retrieving member disposed on the movement member. The driving member has a connection portion and a twisting portion. The pressure cylinder has a piston rod pivotally connected to the connection portion for driving the driving member. The twisting portion is removably received in a receiving portion of the movement member. With the rotation of the driving member, the twisting portion forces the movement member to move along an arc shape route, such that the movement member rotates by an angle, and the tool retrieving member sways between a vertical and horizontal positions. Therefore, the tool exchange device is driven with a lower force, and the tool retrieving tool stably sways.

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 blade replacing unit of the cutting apparatus, and a control unit. The control unit selects the cutting blade needed by the cutting apparatus and causes the cutting blade to be carried by the carrying unit to the cutting apparatus.

An arrangement for processing workpieces includes at least one processing machine, a machine magazine assigned to a respective processing machine for accommodating processing tools, and a robot arranged on a driverless base frame. Processing tools may be supplied to and/or removed again from the machine magazine using the driverless base frame. The driverless base frame is additionally provided with a temporary magazine for accommodating processing tools.

A tool magazine receives a plurality of tools which are provided for arrangement on a tool spindle of a machine tool, and a method for changing tools using a tool magazine. The tool magazine exhibits a guide rail arranged in a fixed position on a machine base, a magazine carriage displaceably mounted on the guide rail, a rotary drive arranged on the magazine carriage and having a magazine shaft which can be rotated around a shaft axis of rotation, at least two magazine wheels arranged non-rotatably on the magazine shaft and having a plurality of tool holders, and a transfer device linearly displaceable along a transfer axis transverse to the guide rail and which picks up a tool arranged on one of the tool holders of the magazine wheels and transports the tool to the tool spindle and back.

A machining apparatus capable of measuring the surface shape of the lateral side of a workpiece includes a tool magazine housing various types of tools, an automatic tool changing device which picks up a tool from the tool magazine and uses it to replace the tool mounted on a spindle, and a non-contact sensor that is housed in the tool magazine and measures the surface shape of a workpiece. The automatic tool changing device replaces the tool mounted on the spindle with the non-contact sensor picked up from the tool magazine. The non-contact sensor includes a light irradiation unit which applies a line light to the workpiece in an oblique direction thereto, and an imaging unit which captures an image of the line light reflected from the workpiece. The dead zone between the sensor and the measurement unit may be monitored with a separate detector.

A machine tool includes a tool spindle, a tool intermediate device, and a tool storage which includes first tool magazines, a first tool magazine support mechanism, an additional first tool magazine support mechanism, and a tool carrier. The first tool magazine support mechanism includes a first shaft to support at least one of the first tool magazines to be rotatable about a first rotation axis. The additional first tool magazine support mechanism includes an additional first shaft to support at least one of the first tool magazines to be rotatable about an additional first rotation axis. The tool carrier includes a first guide extending along the first and additional first rotation axes, a second guide extending along a line connecting the first and additional first rotation axes, and a lift configured to move along the first guide. The first guide is movable along the second guide.

Systems and methods are provided for automatic tool loading of a milling machine. One embodiment is an apparatus for loading tools into a milling machine. The apparatus includes a base platform configured to rest on a table of the milling machine, and a support column extending vertically from the base platform. The apparatus also includes a holding member slidably coupled with the support column above the base platform, the holding member extending horizontally from the support column and configured to translate vertically along the support column, and to support a tool holder in an upright position for loading the tool holder into a spindle of the milling machine.

A machine tool stores numerous end effectors without a need to newly provide an end effector storage internally or externally to the machine tool. A temporary base for the end effector is disposed inside the machine tool. The end effector is passed from an internally-mounted robot to a tool post via the temporary base. A tool of the machine tool can be exchanged by attaching the end effector to the tool post. The end effector is stored in a tool storage of the machine tool