Anyone notice the rapid change atc? I’m not sure how it works exactly but thought it was interesting.
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I saw it and had bookmarked the site a week or so ago (it was not available yet, it is now 
).
I’m fairly sure this is not going to be supported in Carbide Motion but for people using a different controller (the Shapeoko controller probably doesn’t have extra output to control it) it could be a good addition. I think this is mostly targeted at CNC router with more advanced controller and DIY CNC machines.
I still plan on keeping a eye on this … and the cost is very reasonable.
It works by holding the ER collet nut, the ER collet and tool stationary.
The tool change is done by turning the spindle to thread and unthread the complete ER collet+nut+tool unit.
I would rather have a dedicated atc spindle with proper tool holders, but this is a cheaper method of obtaining an atc function.
And with ER collets and nuts I prefer to inspect and clean them on every tool change, lessens the chance of dust/dirt buildup that causes runout or failures.
oO
" Torque applied to the clamping nut is achieved through the inertia of the spindle and the sudden stop, similar to an impact wrench"
This part I get (well I am skeptical about repeatability of the fastening torque and whether the spindle enjoys the sudden stop, but let’s assume it does work), the part I don’t quite understand is the un-tightening phase. They spin backwards at 1200RPM and plunge into a lock shape to un-tigthen the nut? oO
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Julien,
I agree with you, this is a bit too “violent” for my taste.
They claim they did testing but I could see the nuts potentially getting cross-threaded after a while, issues with the collet if there is anything getting in between the slits, … good idea, but relying on the spindle being able to spindle forward and backward (not possible with the Shapeoko as far as I know) at low speed (my spindle can do low speed as I didn’t limit it to 8000 RPM ) is a bit worrisome… and potentially not great for the spindle itself.
I guess the quest for an ATC is still on …
I have to clean out dust and chips every time I swap a tool. I have a hard time seeing this as a very robust solution. Seems like it would be really prone to getting chips in the taper. I also have my doubts that it could properly tighten tools. I have to go pretty tight to prevent pull out when I am going fast in aluminum. Long term repeatability without intervention is a pretty big deal in ATC systems and this does not look like it will be able to achieve that.
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