Machine tool

#The present invention relates to a device for driving a spindle mounting slide.

#The invention relates in particular to a device for driving the spindle mounting slide in a machine tool supported by a frame and controlled by linear motors that drive the tool at high speed along one or more axes.

#In modern automatic machine tools, the tool is usually mounted on a supporting element driven by linear motors along three axes which are perpendicular to each other.

#The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of it and in which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a machine tool made in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective detail view of a part of the machine tool shown in FIG. 1, and illustrates the part in a first, retracted operating position;

#With reference to FIG. 1, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety an automatic machine tool of the numeric control type mounted on a base 2. The machine 1 is equipped with an operating module 3 that can move in three-dimensional space along the three linear axes X, Y and Z of a Cartesian system.

#The operating module 3 comprises a slide 4 that mounts a spindle 5 which transmits rotational cutting motion to a customary cutting tool that is not illustrated. The slide 4 extends mainly along a longitudinal axis T and can move in a vertical direction V parallel to the aforementioned Y axis between a first retracted end position, illustrated in FIG. 2, and a second extended end position, illustrated in FIG. 3.

#The machine 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is also equipped with a customary magazine, which is not illustrated in detail and is schematically labeled 6. This magazine houses a plurality of tools which the operating module 3 can access at any time during a machining cycle to automatically change tool whenever a different tool is required for a different machining operation.