Chiron DZ 22W

The Chiron DZ 22W is a twin-spindle, 5-axis vertical machining center built for high-volume production in automotive, aerospace, and medical manufacturing. The "DZ" designation means dual-spindle (Doppelspindel), and the "W" denotes the workpiece changer — a combination that lets this machine cut two identical parts simultaneously while loading and unloading happens outside the machining zone. It's a production machine through and through, designed to maximize spindle utilization and minimize non-cutting time.

Chiron offers two spindle configurations for the Series 22: a high-speed spindle reaching 20,000 RPM with 137 Nm of torque for aluminum and aluminum alloys, and a high-torque spindle at 12,500 RPM with 200 Nm for harder materials like steel, titanium, and Inconel. The spindle distance of 600 mm allows simultaneous machining of two parts, effectively doubling output compared to a single-spindle machine. Travel distances reach 620 x 650 x 600 mm (X-Y-Z), and rapid traverse speeds of 120/120/90 m/min are among the fastest in the industry.

The integrated workpiece changer loads and unloads parts during the machining cycle, driving spindle utilization above 90% in well-planned production environments. Tool magazines hold up to 77 tools with chip-to-chip times starting at 3.1 seconds. The twin-spindle 5-axis configuration handles workpieces up to 599 mm diameter and 340 mm height, with a maximum weight of 150 kg per part.

Chiron machines are built in Tuttlingen, Germany, and carry the price tag you'd expect from a precision German twin-spindle platform. New DZ 22W machines typically start around $500,000 and can exceed $750,000 fully configured. This is not a job shop machine — it's a production cell for shops running thousands of identical parts. The ROI comes from the twin-spindle output doubling combined with the workpiece changer's elimination of load/unload downtime. Competitors include the Grob G350 and Heller H 2000, though Chiron's rapid traverse speeds and tool change times give it an edge in cycle-time-critical applications.