Makino D500

Est. $350,000 - $550,000 Updated 2026-08-10

Key Specifications

X Travel

550 mm (21.6 in)

Y Travel

1,000 mm (39.4 in)

Z Travel

500 mm (19.7 in)

Max Spindle

14 K (12K, 20K, 30K opt)

Tool Capacity

60 (80, 113, 155, 197, 239, 281, 323 opt)

Rapid Traverse

48,000 mm/min X (1,890 ipm); 50,000 mm/min Y/Z (1,970 ipm)

Overview

The Makino D500 is a trunnion-style simultaneous 5-axis vertical machining center. Travels are 550 mm (21.6 in) in X, 1,000 mm (39.4 in) in Y and 500 mm (19.7 in) in Z, over a 500 mm (19.6 in) diameter table with a 400 × 400 mm (15.7 × 15.7 in) pallet. The A-axis covers +30 to -120 and the C-axis rotates a full 360°.

The travel figures are deliberately asymmetric and they are the defining characteristic of the machine. A 1,000 mm Y stroke against 550 mm in X is a marked imbalance in reach, and it suits long parts — aerospace brackets and spars, mould inserts, and multi-part fixtures loaded end to end along Y. Conditional workpiece capacity is 650 mm diameter × 500 mm high, so a round part can substantially overhang the table.

Payload is quoted twice: 350 kg (770 lb) on the table and 300 kg (660 lb) on the pallet. The lower pallet figure is the one that applies to any part running through automation, and the difference should be settled before fixtures are designed rather than after.

Spindle speed is 14 K standard, with 12K, 20K and 30K available. That spread covers genuinely different work — the lower option for torque in tough material, the higher ones for small tooling and high surface speed in aluminum and finishing — and the choice should track the dominant material rather than the exception.

Motion specifications show where the machine's limits are. Rapids are 48,000 mm/min (1,890 ipm) in X and 50,000 mm/min (1,970 ipm) in Y and Z, with cutting feed rates of 32,000 mm/min (1,260 ipm) in X and 40,000 mm/min (1,575 ipm) in Y and Z. Tool-to-tool change is 4.2 sec but chip-to-chip is 10.2 sec — that gap is significant on parts with many short operations, and it means tool count per operation matters as much as raw cutting speed when estimating cycles.

Tool capacity is 60 as standard, expandable through 80, 113, 155, 197, 239, 281 and 323. Tools reach 140 mm (5.5 in) diameter conditionally at 8 kg (17.6 lb). The D500 suits aerospace structural work and precision mould and die production.

Full Specifications

Parameter	Value
Pallet Size	400 x 400 mm (15.7 x 15.7 in)
Table Diameter	500 mm (19.6 in)
X-Axis Travel	550 mm (21.6 in)
Y-Axis Travel	1,000 mm (39.4 in)
Z-Axis Travel	500 mm (19.7 in)
A Axis	+30 / -120
C Axis	360
Max Spindle Speed	14 K (12K, 20K, 30K opt)
Rapid Traverse Rate	48,000 mm/min X (1,890 ipm); 50,000 mm/min Y/Z (1,970 ipm)
Cutting Feedrate	32,000 mm/min X (1,260 ipm); 40,000 mm/min Y/Z (1,575 ipm)
Max Workpiece	650 mm x 500 mm height (25.6 in diameter x 19.6 in height) (conditional)
Max Payload	Table: 350 kg (770 lb); Pallet: 300 kg (660 lb)
Tool Capacity	60 (80, 113, 155, 197, 239, 281, 323 opt)
Tool To Tool	4.2 sec
Chip To Chip	10.2 sec
Max Tool Diameter	140 mm (5.5 in) (conditional)
Max Tool Weight	8 kg (17.6 lb)

Specifications sourced from www.makino.com — verified 2026-08-09

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

1,000 mm (39.4 in) of Y travel against 550 mm (21.6 in) in X is a deliberate imbalance that suits long parts and multi-part fixtures loaded end to end
Conditional workpiece capacity of 650 mm diameter × 500 mm high lets a round part substantially overhang the 500 mm (19.6 in) table
Spindle choice of 14 K standard with 12K, 20K and 30K options covers genuinely different work
A-axis covering +30 to -120 with a full 360° C axis on a trunnion platform
60 tool pockets as standard, expandable through 80, 113, 155, 197, 239, 281 and 323
Rapids of 48,000 mm/min (1,890 ipm) in X and 50,000 mm/min (1,970 ipm) in Y and Z

Limitations

Chip-to-chip is 10.2 sec against a 4.2 sec tool-to-tool figure, and that gap is significant on parts with many short operations
Payload is quoted twice — 350 kg (770 lb) on the table but only 300 kg (660 lb) on the pallet — and the lower figure applies to anything running through automation
Cutting feed rates of 32,000 mm/min (1,260 ipm) in X and 40,000 mm/min (1,575 ipm) in Y and Z sit well below the rapid traverse figures
Z travel of 500 mm (19.7 in) is the tightest linear axis on a machine with a 1,000 mm Y stroke
Maximum tool diameter of 140 mm (5.5 in) applies conditionally, with an 8 kg (17.6 lb) weight ceiling

Best For

Aerospace structural work — brackets and spars — that suits a long Y-axis envelope Precision mould and die production on parts machined complete in one setup Multi-part fixtures loaded end to end along the 1,000 mm Y stroke Round components up to 650 mm diameter overhanging the 500 mm table Shops matching spindle speed to a dominant material across the 12K to 30K range

Frequently Asked Questions

01 Why is the Y travel so much longer than X?

It is the defining characteristic of the machine. A 1,000 mm (39.4 in) Y stroke against 550 mm (21.6 in) in X is a marked imbalance in reach, and it suits long parts — aerospace brackets and spars, mould inserts, and multi-part fixtures loaded end to end along Y.

02 What payload can the D500 carry?

It is quoted twice: 350 kg (770 lb) on the table and 300 kg (660 lb) on the pallet. The lower pallet figure applies to any part running through automation, and the difference should be settled before fixtures are designed rather than after. Conditional workpiece capacity is 650 mm diameter × 500 mm high.

03 Which spindle should be specified?

Spindle speed is 14 K standard, with 12K, 20K and 30K available. That spread covers genuinely different work — the lower option for torque in tough material, the higher ones for small tooling and high surface speed in aluminum and finishing. The choice should track the dominant material rather than the exception.

04 How do tool change times affect cycle estimates?

Tool-to-tool change is 4.2 sec but chip-to-chip is 10.2 sec. That gap is significant on parts with many short operations, and it means tool count per operation matters as much as raw cutting speed when estimating cycles. Consolidating operations onto fewer tools is often worth more than shaving feed rates.

05 Can the D500 run unattended?

Tool capacity is 60 as standard, expandable through 80, 113, 155, 197, 239, 281 and 323, which is the precondition for holding a complete job plus duplicates. The constraint to plan around is the 300 kg (660 lb) pallet payload, since that applies to anything moving through automation rather than the 350 kg table figure.