[heilcnc]

does anyone have one of the rapid tool changers from High Tech Systems LLC
what do you think of it im looking to get it for my mini mill cnc that has 3/4 hp spindle motor on it and can run upto 6000 rpm. will this holder with 3/8 carbide end mill let me take .100 deep cuts on aluminium without spinning in the taper that they use to hold the end mill holder? thanks

[austin.mn]

i too want to know.. from the look of it ( http://www.hightechsystemsllc.com/in...s/Page1416.htm ) it appears that it would not be too dificult to build an automatic changer for it. i drooled over the autochanger that was built a couple years ago for the sherline's. i would also like to know about the accuracy of the system.

[heilcnc]

maybe alot of people have not tried it yet?

[AWTECH]

maybe alot of people have not tried it yet?

I was looking for the componets for an automatic tool changer and found this thread. Has anyone used the High Tech System made quick release changer?

If so how does it perform and how are you using it.

[digits]

Hi there - I have a couple of those tool-changers - one 1/2" shank one that I am using on my X-1 and one R8 one that I plan to use in an ATC on my new machine.

My X-1 is not capable of 0.1" cuts or 6,000 rpm, but my new machine should be, so I can't really give you an opinion on how it'll manage that yet! I have the newer version with the ER16 collets and the grooves in the holders that stop them rotating at all - they seem pretty solid to me.

I have to say that I'm really happy with it - tool changes take seconds, and I haven't had to crack out my drawbar spanner or mallet in months

To be honest, it has actually changed the way I run my programs - I now use far more tools per part, and get a better finish because tool-changes are now painless. I am really looking forward to building an ATC though so that I don't have to be around to change the tools myself.

Hope that helps.

[alexccmeister]

Hi Digits,

Any chance of seeing some photos or video of the tool changer in action. I am curious about how it actually works ever since i first heard of it. Thanks.

[austin.mn]

i just picked up a treadmill motor and motor drive for my X2, and once i have that coversion finished up i want to mount that head on my router. my router is all industrial with thk linear slides and ground ballscrews.. so it will be a little nicer to use than the X2 base. anywho, i am glad someone has chimed in with some experience on that tool holder system.

have you measured the runout? i would imagine that it is much better than the .005 on my router. i am working with aluminum almost all the time now and i am tired of the inconcistant cuts that i get with the excessive runout.

[digits]

Hi Digits,

Any chance of seeing some photos or video of the tool changer in action. I am curious about how it actually works ever since i first heard of it. Thanks.

I haven't made any myself, but have you looked on the page on the High Tech Systems site? http://www.hightechsystemsllc.com/in...s/Page2045.htm

I believe the ATC videos are from a thread on here - http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28665 - which is what inspired me to go for an ATC.

[digits]

i just picked up a treadmill motor and motor drive for my X2, and once i have that coversion finished up i want to mount that head on my router. my router is all industrial with thk linear slides and ground ballscrews.. so it will be a little nicer to use than the X2 base. anywho, i am glad someone has chimed in with some experience on that tool holder system.

have you measured the runout? i would imagine that it is much better than the .005 on my router. i am working with aluminum almost all the time now and i am tired of the inconcistant cuts that i get with the excessive runout.

No, I haven't measured it yet - it didn't occur to me D'oh. To be honest, on my X-1, the rigidity of the tool holders is the least of my worries!

[alexccmeister]

Just saw the video on youtube from the company's website. Ok, I get what they mean by rapid tool change. Doesn't LMS sell a system that is automated. i.e. the tool changer does everything for you. Its for the X2. I thought it was that sort of tool changing system.

But I have to admit, the Hightechsystem kit is fast.

[digits]

Just saw the video on youtube from the company's website. Ok, I get what they mean by rapid tool change. Doesn't LMS sell a system that is automated. i.e. the tool changer does everything for you. Its for the X2. I thought it was that sort of tool changing system.

But I have to admit, the Hightechsystem kit is fast.

Have you seen the price of the Z-bot changer on LMS? It's $1150, and it only seems to exist as a CAD render. You'd also need a compressed air supply.

Did you see the video of the router with a quick-changer and a tool rack working as a full auto-changer? There are even CAD drawings for the tool rack in that thread I linked to...

I will have to come up with something slightly different for a tool-rack for the ER16 version though - the tool holders lengths vary depending on how far down the ER16 nut can be screwed, which is collet and tool dependent.

[alexccmeister]

Will check out the video. The price is high at LMS. Has abyone actually got a set from them since its just computer rendering so far?

[hoss2006]

I found these pics of a mill on Ebay that had a simple ATC similar in concept to the one on the CNC router before.
the x2 could hold 3 or 4 tools.
the x3 5 or 6.
could be easy to make.

[philbur]

There ya go. Its clearly the correct solution for a first time try on a small hobby mill. Not a lot of hardware to it, and no moving parts. If you can't get this up and running in a few days then something more complicated is out of the question anyway.

Regards
Phil

I found these pics of a mill on Ebay that had a simple ATC similar in concept to the one on the CNC router before.
the x2 could hold 3 or 4 tools.
the x3 5 or 6.
could be easy to make.

[philbur]

q

[project5k]

so i think i understand the basic concept, you set the machine up and when theres a tool change in the code it automaticly changes to the next one and keeps on going, thats cool, but i'm currious, i know that you'll have to have some kind of auto drawbar, but how reliable is that.. and i guess you have to preprogram the position of each tool.. i'm just wondering what it really takes to get something like this going, and what kinds of parts i would have to invest in to get one going.. simple and cheap is the way to go...
is there some way to set mach up so that it knows where the tool nest is? what would the programming look like, and what kind of cam would it take, or is that something that you would have to go in and edit by hand before running the part?

[Runner4404spd]

operating the tool changer thats shown above you will need to hand program the positions and the tool change function in Mach. also when it comes to an ATC there is no easy way to do except by hand. and there is really no cheap way to do it, because it requires precise motion.

can it be done...Yes? and your asking all the right questions but i don't know of anyone that has figured it all out yet.

[digits]

so i think i understand the basic concept, you set the machine up and when theres a tool change in the code it automaticly changes to the next one and keeps on going, thats cool, but i'm currious, i know that you'll have to have some kind of auto drawbar, but how reliable is that.. and i guess you have to preprogram the position of each tool.. i'm just wondering what it really takes to get something like this going, and what kinds of parts i would have to invest in to get one going.. simple and cheap is the way to go...
is there some way to set mach up so that it knows where the tool nest is? what would the programming look like, and what kind of cam would it take, or is that something that you would have to go in and edit by hand before running the part?

Please have a look at that wood router thread that I posted a link to earlier in this thread - he has a very sucessful ATC running and the G-code to do it all!

The High Tech Systems rapid-changer does not need the drawbar to be undone - which is why it is so quick, and why the Z-position is repeatable across tool changes.

As far as I understand it, you write a tool macro that has the fixed positions of each slot in your tool rack, and then you just need to load the rack with the correct tools in the right positions, as determined by how you numbered them in your CAM setup. You also need to either measure their lengths and inform Mach or the CAM tool, or come up with a macro to auto-measure their lengths before the start of your programs.

You do also need to be able to start and stop the spindle under computer control, and computer spindle speed control would also be a good idea as different tool diameters work best at different speeds.

Anyway, that's the theory, I hope to find out how hard it is in practice in the next few weeks

[project5k]

ahhh, ok, DING (light bulb comes on)