Automatic Tool Change
CNC Spindles 

Introduction to Automatic Tool Change Spindle Motors

It is almost unimaginable to envision all the possible types of CNC machining centres that could be conceived but regardless of whether you install an ATC spindle on a basic 3 Axis router, or a bespoke, behemoth of a machine as big as a house, the fundamental principle of an Automatic Tool Change system remains the same.

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Here we are going to talk about many systems and processes that at first sound unrelated, when in reality are all, and only made possible with the use of an Automatic Tool Change Spindle.  Most of these functions can be performed with Manual Tool Change Spindles, but the time required and subsequent costs can make it very impractical. In order to fully take advantage of the potential benefits of a fully computer numerically controlled machining system, an ATC Spindle is an essential component in any streamlined, efficient machining shop.

Lets be clear when we say that Automatic Tool Change Spindles are not only for those with deep pockets or the biggest professional industries, but also for the avid DIY’er or ambitious beginner alike. ATC Spindles are also not only unused for machining a variety of metals, but business and individuals all over the world use ATC spindles for machining plastics, woods, composites and many other materials as well as machining aluminium, stainless steel, cast irons and other metals.

An efficiently set up and working Automatic Tool Change Spindle can open up a whole world of opportunities for your CNC machine, and when coupled with a precision Tool Height Setter and Wireless CNC Touch Probe, the avenues for optimising automation is really endless. Lets dig into what it’s all about in a little more depth step-by-step.

Performing CNC Tool Changes

Pick the tool to fit the job is a very relative saying when it comes to automatic tool changers. Often, machined parts require a various number of different tools in order to complete the job. It is not always absolutely necessary to have multiple types of tool to complete machining a particular project, but more often than not it is required to provide the efficiency needed to remain competitive. Consider a situation whereby you perform roughing functions with a large tool diameter and them more finer detail, with finishing tools and passes. A certain number of tool changes are required to complete the task, and the more tool changes, the more time is lost attributed to down time. Not only does the changeover time include untightening, removing and clamping in a new tool, but the CNC system needs to re-measure the physical length of the tool in order to know where the machine is cutting.

Manual and Automatic Tool Change Systems

In a manual tool change system, it is necessary to measure the height of the tool after each tool change and enter that measurement into a cnc system. The combination of all this downtime can increase the cycle time of a component dramatically and make the part financially unprofitable. An automatic tool change system does not remove the need for future tool changes, but what it does do is automate the process and remove some tasks that are normally mandatory with manual tool changes.

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ATC System Overview

The Automatic Tool Change Spindle system is a combination of various pieces of equipment that work together in order to enable continuous cnc machining. The system consists of a Tool Magazine, or sometimes called a tool rack, where a chosen number of tool types are stored, readily available to be automatically chosen and used. This brings us to the Tool Changer System which is a device that is connected to your CNC control machine and performs the function of retrieving a tool from the Tool Magazine and delivering it to the ATC Spindle. Only Spindles with the ATC functionality can perform an interaction with the tool changer system.

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Tool Height Setting Calibration

Now it is necessary to calibrate the height of the newly installed tool with the use of a Tool Height Setter, or sometimes called a CNC Touch Plate. This device measures the height of the installed tool by running a program that lowers the tool on the tool plate until it touches, essentially measuring how long the tool is in the spindle tool holder. Here is where a large efficiency saving can be made with and ATC Spindle, over more traditional Manual Tool Change Spindles. With most CNC systems it is possible to store the information for various tools in the Tool Magazine, in what’s usually called a Tool Table.