Mazak HCN-5000
Key Specifications
X Travel
Y Travel
Z Travel
Max Spindle
Spindle Taper
Tool Capacity
Overview
The Mazak HCN-5000 is a pallet-changing horizontal machining center: the spindle runs horizontally, work is carried on a rotary pallet, and a pallet changer keeps the spindle cutting while the operator loads the next job. Travels are 29 × 29 × 32 in on X, Y and Z, and the spindle centreline sits between 4 and 33 in above the pallet top. Those figures together define the usable cube, and the rotary pallet turns it into four-face access: the part is indexed to present each side to the spindle without refixturing.
The spindle is a CAT No.40 unit rated 18.5 kW (25 HP) and 82 N·m peak, 15 kW (20 HP) and 60 N·m continuous, to 12,000 rpm. That is a 40-taper specification: well suited to aluminium, cast iron and moderate steel work with a broad tool library, but not a heavy-cut steel machine. Shops planning sustained deep cuts in alloy steel or stainless should size their programs against the 60 N·m continuous figure rather than the 82 N·m peak.
Rapid traverse is 2,362 IPM on all three linear axes. On a horizontal running many short features across four faces, rapid rate and pallet change time influence cycle time more than spindle power does. The machine's economics come from cutting during load, not from raw metal removal rate.
The standard magazine holds 40 tools up to Φ4 in, or Φ7 in with adjacent pockets empty, 20 in long and 26 lb. Forty pockets covers one complex part comfortably; shops running high-mix work through a single machine tend to hit that limit before they hit any envelope limit, which is why magazine capacity is usually the first thing specified upward on this class.
The machine takes 103 × 227 in of floor, stands 111 in tall and weighs 25,198 lb. Most of that depth comes from the pallet changer and chip handling rather than the cutting envelope, so plan the installation around access to both. It fits production and repeat-order shops moving up from vertical mills: four-face machining in one setup, chips falling away from the cut, and the ability to run unattended between pallet loads.
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Spindle Taper | CAT No.40 |
| Max Spindle Speed | 12000 rpm |
| Spindle Torque | 82 N･m |
| Spindle Torque Cont | 60 N･m |
| Spindle Motor Power | 18.5 kW (25 HP) |
| Spindle Power Cont | 15 kW (20 HP) |
| Tool Capacity | 40 |
| Max Tool Diameter | Φ4" |
| Max Tool Diameter No Adjacent | Φ7" |
| Max Tool Length | 20" |
| Max Tool Weight | 26 lbs |
| X-Axis Travel | 29" |
| Y-Axis Travel | 29" |
| Z-Axis Travel | 32" |
| Distance Pallet Top To Spindle Center | 4" to 33" |
| Rapid Traverse X | 2362 IPM |
| Rapid Traverse Y | 2362 IPM |
| Rapid Traverse Z | 2362 IPM |
| Machine Dimensions | 103" × 227" |
| Machine Height | 111" |
| Machine Weight | 25198 lbs |
Specifications sourced from www.mazak.com — verified 2026-08-08
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- The pallet changer lets the operator load the next job while the spindle keeps cutting, which is where a horizontal earns its cost over a vertical
- The rotary pallet gives four-face access to the part in one setup, and the horizontal spindle drops chips clear of the cut instead of into it
- Travels of 29 x 29 in on X and Y and 32 in on Z, with the spindle centreline working 4 to 33 in above the pallet top, cover a genuinely useful cube
- Rapid traverse of 2,362 IPM on all three linear axes matters more to cycle time than spindle power on a machine running many short features across four faces
- The CAT No.40 spindle reaches 12,000 rpm, which suits aluminium and non-ferrous production with a broad standard tool library
- The HCN platform accepts Mazak's PALLETECH multi-pallet automation, so a machine bought standalone can be brought into a cell later rather than replaced
Limitations
- The CAT No.40 taper and an 18.5 kW (25 HP) spindle cap heavy cutting - size sustained work in alloy steel or stainless against the 60 N·m continuous torque, not the 82 N·m peak
- Forty pockets is the first thing a high-mix shop outgrows; a single complex part can consume most of the magazine
- Tooling is limited to Φ4 in, or Φ7 in with adjacent pockets empty, 20 in long and 26 lb
- The 103 x 227 in footprint is mostly pallet changer and chip handling rather than cutting envelope, and both ends need access, so installation takes more floor than the work zone suggests
- At 25,198 lb and 111 in tall, siting the machine is a foundation and ceiling-height question, not just a floor-space one
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
Travels are 29 in on X and Y and 32 in on Z, and the spindle centreline works between 4 and 33 in above the pallet top. Because the pallet rotates to present each face, the usable envelope is best thought of as a cube the part has to stay inside through the whole indexing cycle, not just at the start.
02
The CAT No.40 spindle is rated 18.5 kW (25 HP) and 82 N·m peak, with 15 kW (20 HP) and 60 N·m continuous, to 12,000 rpm. That is comfortable for aluminium, cast iron and moderate steel work with a broad tool library. For sustained deep cuts in alloy steel or stainless, program against the 60 N·m continuous figure rather than the peak.
03
For one complex part, usually. Forty pockets covers a single job comfortably, but shops running high-mix work through one machine tend to hit the magazine limit before they hit any envelope limit. Tools are capped at Φ4 in - Φ7 in with the adjacent pockets left empty - 20 in long and 26 lb, which suits most 40-taper tooling.
04
The pallet changer is the basis for it: one pallet runs while the other is loaded, so the spindle keeps cutting between operator visits. Extending that into a full lights-out shift depends on tool life management, chip and coolant handling, and how much of the 40-pocket magazine the job consumes.
05
PALLETECH is Mazak's multi-pallet automation system. It links one or more HCN machines to a pallet stocker with separate load stations and a cell controller that schedules jobs across pallets. Its relevance to a buyer is mostly about sequencing: an HCN-5000 bought as a standalone machine can be brought into a cell later instead of being replaced when volume grows.
06
The machine occupies 103 x 227 in, stands 111 in tall and weighs 25,198 lb. Most of that depth is pallet changer and chip handling rather than cutting envelope, so plan the installation around access to both ends of the machine and to the chip conveyor, not just around the work zone.
Videos
Mazak North America
MazakEurope
Yamazaki Mazak Corporation [English]
Mazak North America
Top Drawer Media
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Links to community discussions. Summaries are editorial — visit the original thread for full context.
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