Here is an Idea for you Hoss , or anyone else
I saw a page in MMS that had a system on a VMC
that had a gripper that the tool changer would load into the
spindle that would pick up stock, and place it in the air chuck
then it would put it in a pan at the end of the cycle.

maby not real practial on a minimill
but i think you could make a sying arm like the tool changer
that has a pan for the spindle to get/put the part in

just an idea
tell me if its stupid
cody

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CNC accumill with Fanuc 11m controll
3 mills and 5 lathes that are manual still .....