Patent ID: 7011613

Claim:
A spindle for a machine tool having a machine control system which drives a tool changing element and a lubricating device, a rectifier, and a cooling unit, said spindle comprising: (a) a housing; (b) an electric motor within said housing connected to the rectifier, said electric motor having cooling means connected to the cooling unit; (c) a shaft driven by said motor having a tool holder for receiving a tool used for machining workpieces; (d) a hydraulic unit connected to the tool changing element and the lubricating device, said hydraulic unit being activatable in order to change the tool; (e) at least one data acquisition element for recording operational or state data of the spindle; (f) at least one data storage element integrated in the spindle for storing the recorded data from said at least one data acquisition element; (g) at least one data processing element for the data compression of the recorded data from the at least one data acquisition element; and (h) at least one interface connectable via a connection to the machine control system, the recorded data from said at least one data storage element and from said at least one data acquisition element being determinable via coding or other identification, said recorded data being passed on from said at least one data acquisition element to the machine control system or to an EDP station in order to permit limited access by the machine control system to said at least one data storage element integrated in the spindle or said at least one data acquisition element.