A drum-type tool magazine adaptive to a multi-axis machining center allows the machining center to use spindles to directly take and replace tool holders that hold machining tools. The drum-type tool magazine includes a driving member, a drum, and plural tool clamps. The drum is centrally provided with a rotating shaft and peripherally provided with plural separated mounts that are arranged circularly. The driving member drives the drum to rotate. Plural tool clamps are arranged abreast on each of the mount. Every tool clamp of the same mount has a tool-clamping jaw parallel to a tangential direction at a periphery of the drum and communicated with the tool clamp so that the machining tool when clamped is laid horizontal and located close to the periphery of the drum. This allows the volume of the tool magazine to be minimized.

A drum-type tool magazine adaptive to a multi-axis machining center allows the machining center to use spindles to directly take and replace tool holders that hold machining tools. The drum-type tool magazine includes a driving member, a drum, and plural tool clamps. The drum is centrally provided with a rotating shaft and peripherally provided with plural separated mounts that are arranged circularly. The driving member drives the drum to rotate. Plural tool clamps are arranged abreast on each of the mount. Every tool clamp of the same mount has a tool-clamping jaw parallel to a tangential direction at a periphery of the drum and communicated with the tool clamp so that the machining tool when clamped is laid horizontal and located close to the periphery of the drum. This allows the volume of the tool magazine to be minimized.

A machine tool setup changing method includes mounting a master workpiece onto a tool spindle axis, deforming a gripping part by gripping, with the gripping part of a jig, a mock clamped portion of the master workpiece mounted on the tool spindle axis, and removing the master workpiece from the tool spindle axis and mounting a tool supported on a tool support device onto the tool spindle axis, wherein the workpiece gripped at the clamped portion by the gripping part, which was deformed in accordance with the mock clamped portion, can be machined with the tool.

A machine tool setup changing method includes mounting a master workpiece onto a tool spindle axis, deforming a gripping part by gripping, with the gripping part of a jig, a mock clamped portion of the master workpiece mounted on the tool spindle axis, and removing the master workpiece from the tool spindle axis and mounting a tool supported on a tool support device onto the tool spindle axis, wherein the workpiece gripped at the clamped portion by the gripping part, which was deformed in accordance with the mock clamped portion, can be machined with the tool.

A tool replacement apparatus according to the present invention includes: a turning tool magazine capable of attaching or removing a tool to/from a spindle of a machine tool; a tool replacement control unit which controls operations of turning the tool magazine and attaching or removing a tool to/from a spindle; and a setting unit which sets a rotatable range of the tool magazine. The tool replacement control unit includes: a determining unit which determines whether or not a designated rotation angle in an instruction for turning the tool magazine is within the rotatable range set by the setting unit; and a unit which stops an operation of replacing a tool when the determining unit determines that a designated rotation angle is out of a rotatable range.

The present invention relates to a machine tool 100 for machining a workpiece 12 by means of a tool 22, which comprises a clamping means 11 for clamping the workpiece 12 and a support means 21 for receiving the tool 22, wherein the clamping means 11 is mounted on a spindle head of a clamping means-carrying work spindle 10 and the support means 21 is mounted on a spindle head of a support means-carrying work spindle 20, and the machine tool 100 is designed to position the two work spindles 10, 20 by means of numerically controllable axes in relation to one another in such a way that the workpiece 12, which is clamped in the clamping means 11, can be processed by the tool 22, which is received in the support means 21.

A tool replacement apparatus according to the present invention includes: a turning tool magazine capable of attaching or removing a tool to/from a spindle of a machine tool; a tool replacement control unit which controls operations of turning the tool magazine and attaching or removing a tool to/from a spindle; and a setting unit which sets a rotatable range of the tool magazine. The tool replacement control unit includes: a determining unit which determines whether or not a designated rotation angle in an instruction for turning the tool magazine is within the rotatable range set by the setting unit; and a unit which stops an operation of replacing a tool when the determining unit determines that a designated rotation angle is out of a rotatable range.