Basket changer
The basket changer is currently the fastest tool changer in machine tool construction . The pneumatically driven grippers enable a tool change time of just 0.5 seconds.
During the tool change process itself, the entire basket is lowered by the amount of the release stroke ( different for SK and HSK tools). While the extended gripper moves back to its end position, one of the retracted grippers changes the tool into the main spindle . The basket is raised again by pneumatic cylinders and the tool is locked in the spindle.
Since the installation space is very limited due to the concentric positioning to the spindle center, the basket changer with a maximum of 20 tools offers relatively little space compared to other tool changing systems.
Since a tool change process does not require a travel to a specific machine coordinate with the basket changer, it enables a very short chip-to-chip time , which ideally is only a few tenths of a second in addition to the tool change time.