584,866 active members*
4,903 visitors online*
Register for free
Login
Results 1 to 3 of 3
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    12

    price of router ATCs

    Popping my lurking head up again. Been looking at a few needs, and found a big question, that's rather confusing me. Even cheap CNC routers have rather expensive tool changers, even for how simple they are. Shopbot for example wants over 15K for a tool changer option. This by itself seems absurd, even as I learn more about how much machining parts costs.

    Tormach has the full mill tool changer for 6K, including the power drawbar. The drawbar itself is rather telling, since it's only 1200 or so, and it's 99% of the physical side of the rack style changers most routers use. So, are they really spending 10K+ per machine on software to make a tool change?

    the pictures of the BT30 style drawbar system doesn't seem like it should be that difficult to make. It looks like the TTS just uses a collet, is that right? It still seems there's a radical disconnect between how much this stuff is costing and how much it could/should cost.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    5717

    Re: price of router ATCs

    Shopbot stuff is a bit pricey in general, but a decent ATC router spindle is going to be in the range $4 to 5K for a 2.2KW. They are different than a mill spindle in that the motor is integrated into the spindle assembly. Then you have to add a tool turret, or use a stationary tool holder. There is some cost for the software to run it all, but that is pretty much a one time cost for the manufacturer, and thus becomes a nice profit center for them.

    Yes, Tormach uses a collet with their TTS tool holder system which works with their power drawbar and requires no modification to the system to use with a tool changer. The BT30 system uses a pull stud system on router spindles and all of the puller hardware is integrated into the spindle assembly.

    You are trying to compare apples and oranges here.
    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538

    Re: price of router ATCs

    Shopbot for example wants over 15K for a tool changer option.
    You're paying a few thousand dollars here to cover their R &D, and lifetime support. But if you have a Shopbot, you have no other options to integrate an ATC spindle, unless they sell the interface card by itself.

    If you did everything yourself, the cheapest Chinese ATC spindle, with VFD, toolholders, forks, and misc will probably still be close to $4000
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

Similar Threads

  1. Chinese Spindles with ATCs, anyone set one up?
    By jhandel in forum FAQ of DIY CNC Machine Building
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 08-02-2017, 06:58 PM
  2. Anyone Here Experienced With Commercial ATCs?
    By SCzEngrgGroup in forum Tormach Personal CNC Mill
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 02-28-2013, 08:27 PM
  3. Any ATCs on DIY machines?
    By jharvey407 in forum DIY CNC Router Table Machines
    Replies: 25
    Last Post: 01-01-2013, 02:28 PM
  4. Does EMC support ATCs and rigid tap
    By scudzuki in forum LinuxCNC (formerly EMC2)
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 11-08-2010, 06:06 PM
  5. ATCs and Little Tools
    By SCzEngrgGroup in forum Bridgeport / Hardinge Mills
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 03-12-2009, 01:42 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •