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.

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. (this is not necessary but does keep things cleaner)

Select the remaining tool changer config file. it should open in libre office,

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

Enable Macros

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

Press the Macro Security button. Set security to Medium. 

Restart LibreOffice. When it opens up press Enable Macros. 

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.

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.

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

Keep in mind, all positions are absolute and must be machine coordinate(G53) values, not work offsets. the DRO will be orange when displaying machine coordinates.

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.

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 broken tool 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”  will disable that pocket.

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

"Z Pocket (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 a little lower than the pocket 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 of the spreadsheet.

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

"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:

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. 

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

 

Next you must decide if you want the tool changer to be outside softlimits in the Yactive axis, if yes set "Disable softlimits" to Yes.

thisThis means that the Y soflimitssoftlimits should stop the machine before the spindle reaches the winerack, this protects against crashes if an improper program is loaded. it can cause a little more headache if you get an error mid toolchange. it also means that the Y end position in the spreadsheet should be set to end the tool change back within the softlimit envelope. the yellow line below shows about where the Y softlimit should be in this case.

The next step is the signal mapping for Drawbar, airpurge, etc. there are available settings for 4 spindles. we are going to just use spindle 1 and tool changer 1 for standard single spindle machines.

the general idea is to map what you have and leave everything else blank, use Mach input and output signals, not direct I/O points. this forces everything through mach's logging which improves future troubleshooting

On a winerack tool changer you will probably only have I/O for the drawbar and maybe a dust shroud.

Here are the drawbar settings as an example,example.

Drawbar clamp output should be mapped to the solenoid that closes the drawbar (most machines rely on a spring stack to lock the tool, this is rarely used)

Drawbar clamped input should be mapped to the input that senses when the drawbar is retracted, usually this is "closed without tool" 

Drawbar input settle time is really handy for timing, settle times are used to delay the next action in the tool change sequence, usually the output fires, then we wait for the associated input to come high, then we advance to the next thing. either the next output or a motion command. if no input is mapped the sequence will advance immediately after firing the output. 

it goes like this. Output1->Input1->settle timer->Motion->Output2->input2->settle timer   and so on.

Settle timers are nice if you want to wait a bit after the input goes high before advancing, or if you have no input available you can use it to wait long enough for the pneumatic action to take place before doing the next thing.

Drawbar unclamp Output should be mapped to the solenoid that opens the drawbar to release the tool virtually every machine will have this.

drawbar unclamp input should be mapped to the input that tells us that the drawbar is open and the tool can drop free. 

Most winerack machines will be using these sections.

The tool release input should be mapped to a tool release button if you have one this will allow you open the drawbar manually to take tools in and out without using the tool changer. if you don't have a button then usually the F1 buttonkey on the pendant is a good option.