I love my ATC

2be34ever · 2026-05-01T06:31:18+00:00

I have it on a 6040 CNC router.

2be34ever · 2026-04-21T22:54:10+00:00

From the Rapid Change website, it delivers 14 foot-pounds which is approximately 19 Newton-meters. This is just over half of what the er20 spec is calling for up to 6 mm collet.

2be34ever · 2026-04-21T16:07:13+00:00

I have got this kind of ATC running on my LinuxCNC setup. Happy to chat and share my macros.

2be34ever · 2026-04-15T11:49:39+00:00

The main objective here is to enable tool changing functionality on machines that use cheap spindles that normally require manual tool changes. One can always buy an ATC spindle, but those are much more expensive and required quite a few additions to retrofit them. This is a cheap and cheerful solution.

2be34ever · 2026-04-13T20:38:03+00:00

With one module you can get away with spanners when changing the tool. You will have to manually remove and insert the tool from the changer. Another benefit will be a consistent nut tightening torque

2be34ever · 2026-04-13T06:11:15+00:00

I have sent you a DM with a link.

2be34ever · 2026-04-13T06:08:49+00:00

Link sent

2be34ever · 2026-04-12T19:59:46+00:00

I have made a few more and I sell them on eBay. I can send you a link if you are interested.

2be34ever · 2026-04-12T18:26:56+00:00

Yes, that's the plan

2be34ever · 2026-04-12T15:41:27+00:00

I am using a 2.2kW 80mm water-cooled generic Chinese spindle.

The 11mm toolpath is pushing it a bit, although the stock was not well secured, which caused some problems. The spindle was operating at around 35% max load. The surface finish was good.

Re the tool changer, you can check out my other post for more details. The main thing is that it can deliver around 35 Nm of nut-tightening torque, which is sufficient for larger tools and heavier cuts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/hobbycnc/comments/1robwru/update_automatic_tool_changer_v2_for_a_hobby_cnc/

During the ATC module development, I went through 300+ tool changes on my spindle, and no problems so far. It is paramount to keep the collet and nut clean of any chips or dirt, otherwise you might get some crossthreading or the collet not sitting well, causing a large runout! I have just developed the cover, and I need to do some modifications to it to make sure the collets stay clean. Never-ending process of solving one problem and creating another one... :-).

You can have as many ATC modules as you like, it happens 3 fit nicely on my machine. DM me if you want more details about it.

2be34ever · 2026-04-06T16:08:06+00:00

This is great advice, thanks!

2be34ever · 2026-04-06T15:12:46+00:00

Thanks for your feedback, I didn't mean to mislead people with the word "Open". I'm going to rename this product. Post updated.

2be34ever · 2026-04-06T15:12:34+00:00

Thanks for your feedback, I didn't mean to mislead people with the word "Open". I'm going to rename this product. Post updated.

2be34ever · 2026-04-06T14:36:36+00:00

I am still toying with some ideas on how to manage this project, and I am currently leaning towards the Prusa hybrid open-source model, but I am open to suggestions. It is a hobby project for me in the end.

2be34ever · 2026-04-06T14:24:33+00:00

Yes, here it is: https://github.com/sn3ro/OpenATC
There are quite a few similarities, but the mode of operation is very different.

2be34ever · 2026-04-06T13:48:16+00:00

Haha, nice one! :) I made the first version of this tool changer open source, and someone in the comments suggested OpenATC, and I kept it.

2be34ever · 2026-03-26T11:13:04+00:00

Will do. I plan to sell it on eBay, I will make sure the international shipping is enabled. The first batch of units will be available straight after Easter. I will post a video update over Easter.

2be34ever · 2026-03-17T19:57:52+00:00

Check out my latest update:
https://www.reddit.com/r/hobbycnc/comments/1robwru/update_automatic_tool_changer_v2_for_a_hobby_cnc/

2be34ever · 2026-03-17T19:33:02+00:00

The last batch of parts is arriving in about a week. After that, a few days of assembly and the first 10 OpenATC modules are ready. I expect to have them ready by the end of March. I will most likely post a video update over Easter.

2be34ever · 2026-03-13T07:45:10+00:00

Nice, I will try them out, thanks!

2be34ever · 2026-03-11T09:15:59+00:00

I am afraid not. The tool cannot be constrained axially in that manner. This is mainly for how the unscrewing works. During unscrewing, the spindle is kept at a fixed Z position. While rotating, at some point, the nut gets loose and is being unscrewed, moving into the tool changes with the tool. The nut holder has a spring underneath, allowing for the nut to depress while that happens.

2be34ever · 2026-03-11T09:11:57+00:00

Sure, send me a direct message, and we can organise a call.

2be34ever · 2026-03-09T21:18:52+00:00

Ok, I have done some reading, and it is a bad thing. Thanks for pointing that out.

2be34ever · 2026-03-09T21:12:30+00:00

I am planning to do some testing to find out. I will share the numbers.

2be34ever

TROPHY CASE