Method of controlling indexing of magazine pockets in machining center

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, it is a primay object of the invention to eliminate the above-described problems of the prior art by providing a novel method of controlling the indexing of magazine pockets in machining center, in which the setting or the resetting of the tools on a tool magazine is accomplished without requiring demounting and mounting of tools which are common to both the present machining program and the new machining program.
This invention provides an indexing method applicable to a machining center having a magazine provided with a plurality of pockets each bearing its own pocket No.
, a tool set memory for storing the names of tools to be used for each of a plurality of workpieces, and a display.
For machining a workpiece, the pocket Nos.
are indexed to the tools which are in the tool set memory and which are to be used in the machining of the workpiece.
The tools are set in the magazine pockets in accordance with the indexed pocket numbers.
The indexing includes the following steps: checking and comparing the tools used in the present machining program with the tools to be employed in the next machining; indexing, when there are identical tools used commonly in both machining programs, the pocket Nos.
in the present machining program to the identical tools to be employed in the next machining program; and displaying the identical tools and the pocket numbers indexed thereto on the display.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.