Mazak VARIAXIS i-500

Est. $275,000 - $400,000 Updated 2026-08-10

Key Specifications

X Travel

350 mm (14 in)

Y Travel

550 mm (22 in)

Z Travel

510 mm (20 in)

Max Spindle

12000 rpm

Spindle Taper

BT40

Tool Capacity

Overview

The Mazak VARIAXIS i-500 is a trunnion-table 5-axis vertical machining center: the table tilts on A and rotates on C while the spindle covers the three linear axes. The table is Φ500 × 400 mm (Φ19.69 × 15.75 in) and will take a workpiece up to Φ500 × 350 mm (Φ19.69 × 13.78 in), but the load limit is 300 kg (661 lb) including fixturing. On a tilting-table machine that figure matters more than the envelope does. A heavy vice or a steel tombstone consumes the budget before the part does, which pushes shops toward aluminium fixture plates and compact hydraulic clamping.

Travels are 350 mm (14 in) on X, 550 mm (22 in) on Y and 510 mm (20 in) on Z, with the spindle nose working between 50 mm and 560 mm (2 to 22 in) above the table top. The A axis swings from -120° to +30°, so a part can be rolled well past vertical to reach undercuts and to present features square to the spindle rather than reaching for them with a long, chatter-prone tool. That range is what makes the machine useful on parts that would otherwise need three or four conventional setups.

The BT40 spindle runs to 12,000 rpm at 22 kW (30 HP) and 71.6 N·m (53 ft-lb) peak, 15 kW (20 HP) and 52.5 N·m (39 ft-lb) continuous. That is a 40-taper aluminium and moderate-steel specification, matched sensibly to the small envelope: the machine earns its keep on complex geometry in fewer setups, not on stock removal rate. Rapids of 60,000 mm/min on X and Y and 56,000 mm/min on Z keep non-cutting time down on multi-surface toolpaths where the rotary axes reposition constantly.

The 30-tool magazine takes cutters to Φ90 mm, Φ130 mm (Φ5 in) with adjacent pockets empty, up to 300 mm (12 in) long and 8 kg (18 lb). The footprint is 2,400 × 3,235 mm (94 × 127 in) at 2,975 mm (117 in) tall and 8,000 kg (17,637 lb), which sits on a normal job shop floor without special foundation work. It is a reasonable fit for medical, aerospace-detail and small mould work: compact parts carrying a lot of features on several faces.

Full Specifications

Parameter	Value
Table Size	Φ500 mm × 400 mm (Φ19.69 in × 15.75 in)
Max Workpiece Size	Φ500 mm × 350 mm (Φ19.69 in × 13.78 in)
Max Table Load	300 kg (661 lbs)
Spindle Taper	BT40
Max Spindle Speed	12000 rpm
Spindle Torque	71.6 N･m (53 ft-lbs)
Spindle Torque Cont	52.5 N･m (39 ft-lbs)
Spindle Motor Power	22 kW (30 HP)
Spindle Power Cont	15 kW (20 HP)
Tool Capacity	30
Max Tool Diameter	Φ90 mm (Φ4 in)
Max Tool Diameter No Adjacent	Φ130 mm (Φ5 in)
Max Tool Length	300 mm (12 in)
Max Tool Weight	8 kg (18 lbs)
X-Axis Travel	350 mm (14 in)
Y-Axis Travel	550 mm (22 in)
Z-Axis Travel	510 mm (20 in)
A Axis Range	-120° - +30°
Distance Table Top To Spindle Nose Table Horizontal	50 mm to 560 mm (2 in to 22 in)
Rapid Traverse X	60000 mm/min (2362 IPM)
Rapid Traverse Y	60000 mm/min (2362 IPM)
Rapid Traverse Z	56000 mm/min (2205 IPM)
Machine Dimensions	2400 mm × 3235 mm (94 in × 127 in)
Machine Height	2975 mm (117 in)
Machine Weight	8000 kg (17637 lbs)

Specifications sourced from www.mazak.com — verified 2026-08-08

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

The trunnion tilts from -120° to +30° on A, rolling a part well past vertical to reach undercuts and present features square to the spindle instead of reaching with a long tool
Rapids of 60,000 mm/min on X and Y and 56,000 mm/min on Z keep non-cutting time down on toolpaths where the rotary axes reposition constantly
Full simultaneous 5-axis in a 2,400 x 3,235 mm (94 x 127 in) footprint at 8,000 kg (17,637 lb), which sits on a normal job shop floor without special foundation work
The BT40 spindle runs to 12,000 rpm at 22 kW (30 HP) and 71.6 N·m (53 ft-lb) peak, a sensible match to the small envelope for aluminium and moderate steel work
The table takes a workpiece up to Φ500 x 350 mm (Φ19.69 x 13.78 in), enough for compact parts carrying features on several faces
MAZATROL conversational and ISO programming are both supported, which shortens the learning curve for operators new to 5-axis

Limitations

The 300 kg (661 lb) table rating includes fixturing, and on a tilting table that budget goes fast - a steel vice or tombstone leaves little for the part
X travel is only 350 mm (14 in), so the machine stays limited to compact parts even though Y reaches 550 mm (22 in)
The BT40 taper and 15 kW (20 HP) continuous rating cap material removal rate; this machine earns its keep on setup reduction, not on stock removal
The 30-tool magazine fills quickly on complex multi-feature parts, and tools cap at Φ90 mm, 300 mm (12 in) long and 8 kg (18 lb)
Spindle nose to table clearance runs 50 to 560 mm (2 to 22 in), which constrains tool length once a tall fixture is on the table

Best For

Medical device work - implants, instruments and orthopaedic components needing simultaneous 5-axis contouring Aerospace detail parts: small brackets, fittings and connectors in aluminium, titanium and stainless steel Shops stepping up from 3+2 machining on a vertical mill to full simultaneous 5-axis Small mould and die cores and cavities with complex 3D surfaces Compact parts with features on several faces that would otherwise need three or four conventional setups

Frequently Asked Questions

01 How big a part will the VARIAXIS i-500 take?

The table is Φ500 x 400 mm (Φ19.69 x 15.75 in) and the maximum workpiece is Φ500 x 350 mm (Φ19.69 x 13.78 in). The harder limit is usually mass rather than size: the table is rated for 300 kg (661 lb) including fixturing, so heavy steel workholding consumes the budget before the part does.

02 How much does the A-axis range matter in practice?

The A axis swings from -120° to +30°, which lets a part be rolled well past vertical. That is what makes undercuts reachable and lets features be presented square to the spindle rather than approached with a long, chatter-prone tool. It is the main reason a part that would need three or four setups on a 3-axis machine can be finished here in one.

03 Can the i-500 machine titanium?

Within its envelope, yes. The spindle is rated 22 kW (30 HP) and 71.6 N·m peak, with 15 kW (20 HP) and 52.5 N·m continuous, through a BT40 taper. That suits titanium finishing and light roughing on small parts such as medical implants and aerospace fittings. Heavy titanium roughing calls for a larger taper and more continuous torque than this machine offers.

04 What are the tooling limits?

The magazine holds 30 tools up to Φ90 mm (Φ4 in), or Φ130 mm (Φ5 in) with the adjacent pockets empty, 300 mm (12 in) long and 8 kg (18 lb). Thirty pockets goes quickly on a complex 5-axis part, so magazine capacity is often the first item a shop specifies upward when configuring the machine.