ShopBot PRS5 Alpha ATC
Image: shopbottools.com, ShopBot
Key Specifications
Tool Capacity
Rapid Traverse
popular table sizes
footprint 48 48 table
footprint 96 48 table
footprint 96 60 table
How much does the ShopBot PRS5 Alpha ATC cost?
Price estimate
We do not have a price for the ShopBot PRS5 Alpha ATC that we can stand behind, so we show no number. Configuration, options and installation move the final price a long way: a quote is the reliable figure.
Overview
The ShopBot PRS5 Alpha ATC adds an automatic tool changer to ShopBot's closed-loop gantry router: a 5 hp (3.7 kW) tool-change spindle with a pneumatically actuated draw bar, ISO30 tool holders and a 9-position tool bar. The motion system underneath is the PRS5 Alpha's, with a cutting feed of up to 720 in/min (300 mm/s) and rapids of 1,800 in/min (750 mm/s).
Nine tools changes how a sheet is programmed. A cabinet side can get its shelf-pin drill, a dado cutter, a compression bit for the profile and a V-bit for a label without the operator touching the spindle or re-zeroing between tool paths. Each holder takes an ER32 collet, shanks go up to 3/4 in (19 mm), and the largest cutter the tool bar accepts is 2 in (51 mm) in diameter. That last figure matters for spoilboard surfacing cutters, which have to stay inside it.
The changer needs shop air. ShopBot recommends 7 scfm at 90 psi of clean, dry, un-oiled air and warns against portable compressors, which struggle to hold that pressure. A fixed compressor and an air line to the machine therefore belong in the installation plan, alongside the dust collector that the dust skirt is made to connect to.
Table choices match the manual-change model: listed sizes from 4 x 4 ft to 5 x 12 ft, lengths from 48 to 192 in (1,219 to 4,877 mm), beam widths from 32 to 108 in (813 to 2,743 mm) and Z travel of 8, 14 or 26 in. On the 120-60 table the cutting area is 127 x 61 x 8 in (3,225 x 1,550 x 200 mm). Check with ShopBot how much of that area the tool bar takes on the size you want, because the table does not say.
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Popular Table Sizes | 4 x 4, 4 x 8, 4 x 10, 5 x 10 and 5 x 12 ft |
| Footprint 48 48 Table | 72 x 79 x 67 in (1,830 x 2,000 x 1,700 mm) |
| Footprint 96 48 Table | 120 x 79 x 67 in (3,050 x 2,000 x 1,700 mm) |
| Footprint 96 60 Table | 120 x 91 x 67 in (3,050 x 2,310 x 1,700 mm) |
| Footprint 120 60 Table | 144 x 91 x 67 in (3,660 x 2,310 x 1,700 mm) |
| Footprint 144 60 Table | 168 x 91 x 67 in (4,270 x 2,310 x 1,700 mm) |
| Cutting Area 48 48 Table | 56 x 49 x 8 in (1,420 x 1,245 x 200 mm) |
| Cutting Area 96 48 Table | 103 x 49 x 8 in (2,616 x 1,245 x 200 mm) |
| Cutting Area 96 60 Table | 103 x 61 x 8 in (2,616 x 1,550 x 200 mm) |
| Cutting Area 120 60 Table | 127 x 61 x 8 in (3,225 x 1,550 x 200 mm) |
| Cutting Area 144 60 Table | 151 x 61 x 8 in (3,835 x 1,550 x 200 mm) |
| Z Axis Travel | 8, 14 or 26 in (203, 356 or 660 mm) |
| Table Length Range | 48 to 192 in (1,219 to 4,877 mm) |
| Gantry Beam Width Range | 32 to 108 in (813 to 2,743 mm) |
| Cutting Feed Rate | 720 in/min (300 mm/s) |
| Rapid Traverse Rate | 1,800 in/min (750 mm/s) |
| Positional Resolution | 0.0004 in (0.01 mm) |
| Drive System | Rack-and-pinion power transmission on each axis |
| Drive Motors | Closed-loop control system using Oriental Motor alphaStep technology |
| Linear Guides | Precision linear rail and bearings on Y-axis and Z-axis; hardened steel track on X-axis |
| Machine Weight | 900-1,500 lbs (machine only, depending on options) |
| CNC Control | ShopBot control software; sealed industrial UL certified control box |
| Software | Vectric VCarve Pro (standard) |
| Spindle | 5 hp (3.7 kW) automatic tool change spindle with pneumatically actuated draw bar |
| Tool Holder | ISO30 tool holders with ER32 collets |
| Tool Capacity | 9-position tool bar |
| Max Tool Shank | 3/4 in (19 mm) |
| Max Tool Diameter (full magazine) | 2 in (51 mm) |
| Collets | 9 ER32 collets included (size by choice) |
| Compressed Air | 7 scfm at 90 psi (198 L/min at 6.2 bar) recommended; clean, dry, un-oiled air |
Specifications sourced from shopbottools.com — verified 2026-10-05
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- 9-position tool bar with ISO30 holders, so multi-tool programs run without manual changes or re-zeroing
- 5 hp (3.7 kW) automatic tool change spindle with a pneumatically actuated draw bar
- ER32 collets take shanks up to 3/4 in (19 mm), and 9 collets are included in sizes the buyer chooses
- Closed-loop alphaStep motors on all axes with 0.0004 in (0.01 mm) positional resolution
- Cutting feed up to 720 in/min (300 mm/s) with rapids of 1,800 in/min (750 mm/s)
- Same table programme as the manual model: lengths from 48 to 192 in and Z travel of 8, 14 or 26 in
Limitations
- Needs compressed air, with 7 scfm at 90 psi recommended, and ShopBot advises against portable compressors
- Maximum cutter diameter in the tool bar is 2 in (51 mm), which limits surfacing and large profile tools
- Tool capacity stops at 9 positions; the table lists no larger magazine
- All three axes are rack-and-pinion driven, and the X axis rides a hardened steel track instead of linear rail
- Arrives as four ready-to-assemble modules for assembly on site
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
Nine. The machine has a 9-position tool bar and comes with 9 ISO30 tool holders and 9 ER32 collets in sizes of your choice. The holders accept bits with up to a 3/4 in (19 mm) shank, and the maximum cutter diameter is 2 in (51 mm).
02
A 5 hp (3.7 kW) automatic tool change spindle with a pneumatically actuated draw bar, compatible with ISO30 tool holders. ShopBot's page does not state its speed range or torque, so ask for the spindle data sheet if your work depends on low-speed torque or on a particular top speed.
03
ShopBot recommends a compressor that delivers 7 scfm at 90 psi (198 L/min at 6.2 bar) of clean, dry, un-oiled air. Portable compressors are not recommended because they have trouble holding that pressure reliably, and a pressure drop during a tool change is the thing to avoid with a pneumatic draw bar.
04
Yes. ShopBot states that owners of a PRS5 Alpha can add an automatic tool changer and asks them to contact its sales team. The PRS5 Alpha ATC is the same table and motion system with the 5 hp spindle and 9-position tool bar fitted at the factory.
05
The same ones as the manual-change model. ShopBot lists 4 x 4, 4 x 8, 4 x 10, 5 x 10 and 5 x 12 ft, with table lengths from 48 to 192 in and gantry beam widths from 32 to 108 in. The 96-60 table gives a cutting area of 103 x 61 x 8 in (2,616 x 1,550 x 200 mm) in a footprint of 120 x 91 x 67 in (3,050 x 2,310 x 1,700 mm).
