Motor control apparatus capable of protecting process face at the time of occurrence of abnormal load

A motor control apparatus controlling a motor driving a machine tool, the machine tool having two modes of operation:

• a processing mode and a non-processing mode, the motor control apparatus comprising:
• an abnormal load detecting unit that detects an abnormal load by monitoring a load of the motor;
• a retract amount storing unit that stores a plurality of retract amounts used when the machine tool retracts in response to detection of an abnormal load by the abnormal load detecting unit;
• a retract amount switching unit that selects a retract amount from the plurality of retract amounts in accordance with a result of determination of whether the machine tool is operating in the processing mode or the non-processing mode;
• and
• a retract amount adding unit that adds a retract amount selected by switching of the retract amount switching unit to an instruction value indicative of a movement amount of the machine tool.