As an expert in the field of shoe mold manufacturing, I understand the pain points faced by shoe mold enterprises. Frequent tool changes often lead to long downtime and low production efficiency. Today, I'll delve into the working principle and practical optimization techniques of the Arm-type Automatic Tool Changer (ATC) system equipped on the DC6060A five-axis sole mold milling machine.
The arm-type tool magazine shows excellent stability in high-speed and high-load operations. In tests, it can maintain a high precision level, with a positioning accuracy error of less than ±0.05mm. This stability ensures the quality of continuous production. For example, in a shoe mold production line running at a high speed of 12000 revolutions per minute, the arm-type tool magazine can still accurately complete tool changes, reducing the defective rate of products by about 30% compared with some less stable tool magazines.
Compared with drum-type tool magazines and other types, the arm-type tool magazine has significant advantages. It has a faster tool change speed. The average tool change time of the arm-type tool magazine is about 4 seconds, while the drum-type tool magazine may take about 7 seconds. This means that in a production cycle of 8 hours, the arm-type tool magazine can save about 20 minutes of tool change time, increasing the production efficiency by about 40%. The arm-type tool magazine is more suitable for high-precision and high-speed machining scenarios, such as the production of complex shoe molds.
The tool change process mainly includes three steps: tool identification, path planning, and execution. First, the system identifies the required tool through a unique coding system. Then, based on the current position of the tool and the machining requirements, it plans the optimal tool change path. Finally, the mechanical arm executes the tool change action. This process is like a well - choreographed dance, ensuring the smooth progress of tool changes.
Proper parameter setting is crucial for the normal operation of the ATC system. For example, setting the tool change speed parameter can balance the speed and stability of tool changes. Coordinate calibration ensures the accuracy of tool positioning. By using high - precision calibration equipment, the coordinate error can be controlled within ±0.02mm. When optimizing the tool change path, we can use simulation software to simulate different paths and select the shortest and most efficient one. This can reduce the tool change time by about 15%.
| Fault Type | Possible Causes | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Tool change failure | Sensor failure, mechanical arm malfunction | Check and replace sensors, adjust the mechanical arm |
| Tool position offset | Coordinate calibration error, tool magazine wear | Recalibrate coordinates, replace worn parts |
One of our customers, a medium - sized shoe mold enterprise, used to have a long production cycle due to inefficient tool changes. After adopting our ATC system optimization solutions, their tool change time was shortened by 40%. The production efficiency of the entire production line increased by about 35%, and the defective rate decreased by 25%. This shows that our solutions can bring tangible benefits to enterprises.
The ATC system can significantly improve the utilization rate of equipment. By reducing the time of manual intervention and tool changes, the equipment can run continuously for a longer time. For example, in a 24 - hour production cycle, the effective working time of the equipment can be increased from 18 hours to about 22 hours, an increase of about 22%. This directly leads to an increase in production output, helping enterprises to gain more market competitiveness.
Do you also encounter similar problems in your production process? Leave a message and tell us. At the same time, the ATC system of Kaibo CNC has undergone more than 70 inspection processes to ensure the stable operation of the system. If you want to learn more about how to optimize your shoe mold production process, click here to explore more technical empowerment solutions.
