Makino a500Z

The Makino a500Z is a five-axis horizontal machining center on a 500 mm (19.7 in) pallet, with 730 mm (28.7 in) of X, 750 mm (29.5 in) of Y and a Z stroke of 500 mm - 700 mm (19.7 in - 27.6 in) that changes with the position of the rotary axes. It takes workpieces up to Ø 630 mm x 500 mm High (Ø 24.9 in x 19.7 in High) weighing up to 400 kg (880 lb), on a machine whose pallet, rotary table and magazine are all sized for production runs of mid-sized complex parts.

The defining feature is the Z-type rotary arrangement. Both rotary axes are direct drive: B turns 360° without limit, and the slant-style C unit has 180° of movement. Together they can present the pallet top anywhere from horizontal to the spindle centerline to parallel with it, so one fixture can expose most faces of a part. B indexes at a rapid rate of 45,000 degrees per minute, and all linear axes rapid at 60,000 mm/min (2,362 ipm) with a cutting feedrate of 50,000 mm/min (1,968 ipm).

The standard spindle runs to 14,000 rpm and Makino rates it at 49.6 HP (37 kW) peak power and 223 ft-lbs (303 N-m) peak torque. A 20,000 rpm spindle is optional and is aimed at shops running mostly small-diameter tools at high speed. The spec table does not give a spindle taper, so confirm the toolholder interface before planning tooling. Closed-loop active temperature control on all axes is standard.

Tool changes take 0.9 sec tool-to-tool. The standard magazine is a 60-tool ring; matrix magazines of 133, 218 and 313 tools are optional. Tools can be up to 170 mm (6.7 in) in diameter and 12 kg (26.4 lb). A two-pallet automatic changer is standard, so a fixture can be loaded while the other pallet is in the cut, and the control is Makino's Fanuc-based Pro-6 with SGI.5 high-speed machining control as standard.

Buyers who need more room should look at the Makino a500iR, which keeps 750 mm (29.5 in) of Y but stretches X to 900 mm (35.4 in), runs a fixed 800 mm (31.5 in) of Z and starts with 90 tools.