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Standard Automation — Multi-Pallet System
Pallet Pool & Tower APC Installation & Repair
Independent installation and repair for Okuma’s Pallet Pool and Tower APC systems — including the pallet transfer mechanism’s control electronics, sensors and the OSP integration behind it.
Photo coming soon
Photo coming soon
Photo coming soon
What a Pallet Pool & Tower APC Is
A Pallet Pool takes the same underlying idea as a standard two-pallet APC and extends it — 4 to 12 pallets instead of two, arranged in either a linear layout (in line with the machine’s Z axis) or a transverse layout (in line with the X axis), depending on your shop floor and production needs. A single load station, which can be manually rotated and locked at 90-degree intervals, displays all the information an operator needs without repeated trips to the machine itself.
A Tower APC takes the concept a step further with a two-level system: a hydraulic lifting mechanism prepares, loads and stages pallets across both levels, which is particularly effective for medium-to-high-volume runs where maximizing spindle utilization matters most. Both systems run on Okuma’s Pallet Pool Control (PPC), fully integrated with the OSP control, and both are genuinely retrofittable onto existing machines, not just available as a factory option.
We install Pallet Pool and Tower APC systems on compatible machines and repair the electronics on units already in service. We are an independent service provider — see our retrofit & modernization and testing & diagnostics services for more on how we approach this kind of work.
4–12
Pallets in a standard Pallet Pool
Linear / Transverse
Layout options, by shop floor needs
2-Level
Tower APC hydraulic lifting configuration
PPC / OSP
Fully integrated pallet pool control
What’s Included
A Pallet Pool or Tower APC is more than just extra pallets. Here’s what’s inside the system, and what we support on each piece.
Pallet Transfer Unit
Moves pallets between storage positions, the load station and the work zone.
Rotating Load Station
Manually rotates and locks at 90-degree intervals for convenient loading from any angle.
Hydraulic Lift (Tower APC)
Moves pallets between the tower’s two levels on hydraulically-lifted configurations.
Pallet Pool Control (PPC)
Manages the full exchange sequence and displays status directly through the OSP interface.
Photo coming soon
What We Repair on a Pallet Pool or Tower APC
With more pallets and, on Tower APC, a second level to manage, there are more sensors and drives in the system than a standard APC — but the same diagnostic principle applies: most faults trace back to a specific board, drive or sensor. Here’s what we work on.
Pallet Pool Control (PPC) Boards
Manage the full multi-pallet exchange sequence and communicate with the OSP. Faults here can affect the entire pool, not just one pallet.
Transfer Unit & Hydraulic Lift Drives
Drive the transfer unit and, on Tower APC, the hydraulic lift between levels. A drive fault can strand a pallet mid-cycle.
Position & Clamp Sensors
Confirm each pallet is correctly seated and clamped at every station across the pool. A fault here can trigger false alarms across multiple positions.
Position Encoders
Report exact pallet and transfer-unit position back to the control. A failing encoder causes misalignment that’s easy to mistake for mechanical wear.
Load Station Display
Shows status for every pallet in the pool directly through the OSP interface. We repair the display and interface boards behind it.
Power Supply Units
Regulates voltage to the system’s control and drive electronics — one of the first things we check on any fault.
Common Pallet Pool & Tower APC Faults
One pallet position drops out of the pool
Usually a position sensor at that specific station rather than a fault affecting the whole system — we isolate and test each station individually.
Tower APC hydraulic lift stalls between levels
Typically a lift drive or a position sensor fault rather than a hydraulic system failure — we test the electronics before assuming a mechanical cause.
Load station display shows incorrect pool status
Often an interface board fault rather than the actual pallet positions being wrong — worth verifying electronically before manually checking every station.
Power outage mid-sequence recovery issues
More stations means more possible states after an interruption — we can help work through recovery if the standard procedure doesn’t resolve it.
See our fault analysis service for more on how we approach a Pallet Pool diagnosis.
Compatible Okuma Machines
Pallet Pool and Tower APC systems are available across a range of Okuma machining centers.
Vertical Machining Centers
MA-V/MB-V and GENOS M series machining centers compatible with multi-pallet configurations.
Horizontal Machining Centers
MA-H and MB-H series, a common pairing for higher-volume Pallet Pool production.
Double Column Machines
MCR and MCV-AII large-format double column platforms.
How Installation & Repair Works
New installation and repair follow different paths, but both start the same way: tell us what you need.
1
Tell Us the Goal
New installation on a compatible machine, or a fault on an existing system — plus your OSP control generation and desired pallet count.
2
We Scope the Work
For installs, we confirm machine compatibility, layout and floor space. For repairs, we identify the faulty board, drive or sensor.
3
Install, Commission or Repair
On-site installation and PPC/OSP integration, or component-level bench repair — whichever the job calls for.
4
Tested Before Handover
Verified running real pallet exchange cycles across every station, not just powered on, before we call it done.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. We are an independent service company, not an authorized Okuma dealer, distributor or service partner. We install, retrofit and repair Pallet Pool and Tower APC systems on compatible machines.
Yes — Pallet Pool and Tower APC systems are explicitly designed to be retrofittable, not just factory-integrated on new machines. If your machine is on the compatible list, we can scope an installation.
A standard APC is a two-pallet, in-machine system. Pallet Pool extends that to 4–12 pallets in a linear or transverse layout, and Tower APC adds a second level with hydraulic lifting for higher-volume runs. See our Automatic Pallet Changer page for the base system.
It depends on your shop floor layout and how the machine’s axes are oriented relative to available space. We can help you think through which fits your facility during installation scoping.
Our repair focus is the control electronics, drives, sensors and interface boards — the parts of a fault that are almost always the root cause. We don’t perform structural pallet repairs.
Ready to Add a Pallet Pool, Or Need One Repaired?
Tell us your machine model and what you need — a new installation, or a fault on an existing system — and we’ll help you figure out the right next step.
