More thoughts on Draw Bars and ATCs

So, we've had a lot of questions since we posted the power draw bar sneek peak last week. Lots and lots of questions about ATCs (automatic tool changers). Once a working drawbar is in place, its just a short walk around the block to a working ATC, right? Well, I think there will be an ATC option someday.  We have been testing some ideas on ATC ourselves, plus we're very supportive of others working on ATC that works with TTS and the Tormach mill.  Scott Shafer  (aka: Pappa Bear) was among them.  Scott has since moved on to other projects, but there are others still working on their own designs, and at least one company that is very active in development.  We consult on their development almost daily.  Whether it comes out first as a Tormach product or a Tormach approved 3rd party device,  we don't know. We're usually pretty supportive to people developing accessories for the Tormach mills.  It's part of what we do.   If you have a product in mind and want to bounce some ideas off us, send us a comment. One issue that ATC development people have had is the question of how to hold a TTS holder.  In the past we had made some holders with a groove cut into the other ring.  More recently we've been playing with a ring that can be press fit around an existing TTS holder.  We've manufactured a bunch of these rings.  If you're working on your own ATC design and would like to try these, just send us a note.

 

TTS Ring for ATC conversion
TTS Ring for ATC conversion

 

Fixture for Press fitting

 

One final note:  Adding rings or cutting a groove to existing tools will be possible, but probably not necessary after a decent ATC design is established.  We'll expect to manufacture TTS to be ATC compatible in the future, but right now it's a chicken & egg thing and designs are still in development.