TABLE OF CONTENTS Pallet changers have been a part of CNC field for several decades. By grouping definition, pallet changers belong into the area of setup and work holding. Their purpose is quite simple to minimize the idle time (non-profit time) between machining one part and machining the next part, particularly when the setup is complex or takes a long time. Idle time is always undesired side effect of any manufacturing. Machine tool builders have always made great efforts to minimize, and even eliminate, all or some idle time. One solution that has proven to be very effective in manufacturing is the concept of using special pallets as part of the machine setup. Pallets (or pallet tables) are special work tables that can be moved in and out of the working area. The only requirement is that the machine control system supports this feature, which means it has to be supported on both the machine side (hardware) and the control side (software).
The process of pallet changing is called Automatic Pallet Changer, abbreviated as APC
For horizontal and even vertical machining centers, manufacturers have developed a number of different pallet designs. Their design, purpose a general functions always share the same characteristics:
Design: Two or more pallets, depending on the machine model
Function: One pallet in the work area (active), the other pallet(-s) outside of the work area (inactive)
Utilization: To machine part A on one pallet while part B is being set at...
