Hey all, Ahren here - I thought I’d chime in on the “When is Avid going to release an ATC?” question.
The short answer is - it’s happening soon, with our first ATC offering available later this year.
More details will be announced in the near future, but I can share a couple of things now:
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EX controllers start shipping at the end of this month, and this new architecture lays the groundwork for our ATC system and other advanced functionality. We’ve been working on developing an ATC system for a while and launching it is now our primary focus for the rest of the year.
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We’re planning on a phased approach leveraging the new EX control architecture.
First up is a “Quick Tool Change” spindle. This will provide the ATC spindle allowing users to quickly change tools with the drawbar using a button on the spindle, and integrates seamlessly with the tool height setter that comes standard on EX controllers.
The next phase will be a tool rack and support for full automatic changes, along with some other exciting accessories.
- The first round of ATC spindles will be 100% plug and play with our existing 8.7HP VFD controllers, so if you already have our 8.7HP spindle system, you can reuse your VFD controller with the new ATC spindle. If you are planning for a new machine, you can purchase an 8.7HP spindle system now and be ready to add ATC when it’s available (and your 8.7HP spindle can be swapped back in for heavy cutting operations or as a backup spindle any time).
We’ll add more details to this thread as the project progresses. Let us know if you have any questions.