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SOURCE Winerack Style Tool Changer

Winerack Style Tool Changer Overview

The MachMotion plugin supports a wine-rack tool changing system.
It combines user-defined rack positions with a pre-programmed tool-change sequence to run a reliable tool-change routine.
The plugin includes common safety checks.

Wine-rack tool changer: a fixed array of tool holders arranged in a rack.
Tool-change sequence: predefined machine motions that pick up or return a tool.

 

Configure the Correct Orientation

The tool rack must be parallel to either the X-axis or the Y-axis.
The plugin works with both orientations.

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  1. Determine which axis the rack is parallel to (X or Y).

  2. Open: C:\Mach\Profiles\Router\ToolTables.

  3. Keep the file that matches your rack orientation.

  4. Create an archive folder and move the other tool changer files to the archive folder.

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Select

the

Enableremaining Macrostool changer config file. it should open in libre office,

If you get this error, macros are not enabled. Follow the procedure below:

Enable Macros

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In LibreOffice pull down Tools->Options->LibreOffice->Security. 

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Press the Macro Security button. Set security to Medium. 

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Restart LibreOffice. When it opens up press Enable Macros. 

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To confirm macros are working, when you save the file you should see this dialog and "ToolChangerData.csv" should appear or update in C:\Mach\Profiles\[PROFILE]\ToolTables.

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Example: Wine-Rack Tool Changer Parallel to X

When the rack is parallel to the X-axis, use the Tool Changer X Parallel to Rack.ods file.

  1. Open C:\Mach\Profiles\Router\ToolTables.

  2. Keep Tool Changer X Parallel to Rack.ods.

  3. Move the other tool changer files to an Archive folder.

  4. Archiving is optional. It keeps the folder clean.

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Edit the file with LibreOffice. In the file, there is a graphic detailing the sequence and positions. 

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Keep in mind, all positions are absolute and must be machine coordinate(G53) values, not work offsets.

Configure the values in the Description section before editing any other parameters. The default settings are placeholders only.
Using them without adjustment can cause incorrect movements or machine crashes.

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Setting Tool Pocket Positions

  1. Carefully position the tool in each pocket holder.

  2. Record the machine coordinate (G53) position for that pocket.

  3. Enter each recorded value into the corresponding tool pocket field.

⚠️ Important: Set each pocket position individually.
Do not copy values between pockets.
Even small physical differences can cause largebroken alignmenttool errors.forks.

Pro Tip: don't set these up with a tool in the spindle, it is more accurate to put a tool into the tool fork, open the drawbar, and then jog the spindle onto the tool very carefully while watching the gap between the tool taper and the spindle taper and adjusting as needed.

 

  • Setting a pocket position to “Nil” or “0”  will disable that pocket.

  • The number of active pocket positions must not exceed the number of physical pockets in the rack.

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You"Z mightPocket (Step 3)"  is the tool drop off and pick up height. this should have the tool grooves centered in the forks. If you have ISO tooling then it should work fine. 

If you have HSK tooling  you will probably find that the tool is picked up more easily if you set the clamp position to be 0.002"a little lower than the pocket position.position, you'll want the spindle to be pushing down on the tool slightly. this makes your tool changes more reliable by cutting done on drawbar faults mid tool change. but this creates a problem for drop offs since it will come in little low on the forks. we can solve this by going to "ToolChangerData" tab

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This shows you all the raw tool changer positions, these get auto filled from the "configuration" page, 

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"ZPocketClamp" is the pickup height

"ZPocket" is the drop off height

adjust the "ZPocketClamp" to be 0.020" or so lower than the drop off. you want some slight down pressure to fully seat the tool into the spindle nose.

After entering any positions you must save the document and the CSV conversion macro must run. You will see this dialog if it is successful in updating the settings:

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All positions are exported to a .CSV file at that point. If the macro does not run when you save the file, the changed positions will not have any effect. 

 

MachPro Settings configuration for winerack tool changers

To operate the tool changer it must be enabled in the MachPro settings. 

Pull down Configure -> Control and select the Settings tab

Click the Predefined Filters button for Tool Change. 

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The first group of settings should match this. The number of pockets will vary from machine to machine. 

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The second group is I/O mapping for Drawbar, airpurge, etc.

Some IO is required for operation. Ones that are optional are highlighted in Yellow and rare cases in Orange. 

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