Re: Tool changing

As you develop your plan, remember that the tool or holder is pulled up
into the collet as it grips. The smaller diameter devices will be pulled
further into the nose of the spindle. Hardinge had a white paper on
their site about how to compensate for this.

I've seen some collet clamps that maintain collet position and slide the
taper down over it rather than sliding it into the taper.

Ray

>    From: "Alan Matheson" <hokianga@...>
> Subject: Tool changing
>
> I'm interested in the possibilty of fitting an automatic tool change
> mechanisim to my R8 CNC converted drill mill. My thoughts were to use a
> pneumatically activated 20 mm R8 collet that picked up tools (mainly
> drills and small slot mills ) each mounted in 20 mm diameter holders.
> These would be in a dispenser at one end of the mill table.    The
> holders would have a flange of some sort at the collet end to fix the
> position when the collet was closed.  Means I could only use tools up
> to a shank diameter of say 16 mm but that would be enough for many
> jobs.  All activated by a modified TurboCNC.
>
> Has anyone done this sort of thing. Ive looked around the web quite a
> bit but so far haven't found too much detail on how automatic tool
> changing on commercial CNC machines is accomplished. Any leads would be
> appreciated.
>
> I don't really have to have this feature BUT what a nice toy!
>
> Alan Matheson