Niigata BFN50E
Key Specifications
Max Spindle
Spindle Taper
Tool Capacity
x axis travel
y axis travel
z axis travel
How much does the Niigata BFN50E cost?
Price estimate
We do not have a price for the Niigata BFN50E that we can stand behind, so we show no number. Configuration, options and installation move the final price a long way: a quote is the reliable figure.
Overview
The Niigata BFN50E is a horizontal machining center whose spindle nose carries a rotating faceplate with a radial slide, the U axis. Niigata calls the type a Bore Center. With a single-point tool on the slide, the machine can face, groove, cut tapers and bore inside and outside diameters by moving the tool radially while it turns, on a part that stays clamped on a 500 mm × 500 mm pallet.
The U axis travels 65 mm (2.6 in), or 40 mm as an option, and feeds rapidly at 5 m/min. It is driven by two ball screws and a rack and pinion, the slide is lubricated automatically and sealed by a wiper around its full circumference, and a balance mechanism inside the faceplate moves against the slide so the head does not run out of balance as the tool moves outward. A positive stopper locks the slide at centre. With the slide parked there, the spindle works as an ordinary machining-center spindle with drills and end mills.
The frame comes from the HN series. X travel is 800 mm, Y is 650 mm (25.6 in) and Z is 580 mm; the workpiece can be φ800 mm × 800 mm and 800 kg (1,764 lb). X and Z rapid at 30 m/min and Y at 20 m/min. Spindle speed is limited to 3,000 min-1, which follows from the mass of the faceplate, and the tool shank is listed as NC5-63 with two-face restraint, not the BT50 of the plain HN50E.
The practical argument is tool count. One U-axis tool replaces a set of fixed-diameter boring bars, and an optional U-axis compensation function corrects the machined diameter without touching the tool. The magazine holds 60 tools, with a 127-tool matrix magazine as an option.
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| X Axis Travel | 800 mm (31.5 in) |
| Y Axis Travel | 650 mm (25.6 in) |
| Z Axis Travel | 580 mm (22.8 in) |
| U Axis Travel | 65 mm (2.6 in); option 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Pallet Size | 500 mm × 500 mm (19.7 in × 19.7 in) |
| Table Indexing Angle | 1°; option 0.001° |
| Max Table Load | 800 kg (1,764 lb) |
| Max Spindle Speed | 3,000 min-1 |
| Spindle Taper | NC5-63 (Nikken Kosakusho, 2-sided restraint) |
| Rapid Traverse X Z | 30 m/min (1,181 ipm) |
| Rapid Traverse Y | 20 m/min (787 ipm) |
| Rapid Traverse U | 5 m/min (197 ipm) |
| Tool Capacity | 60; option 127 (matrix type) |
| Max Workpiece Size | φ800 mm × 800 mm (31.5 in × 31.5 in) |
Specifications sourced from n-mtec.com — verified 2026-10-05
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- U-axis faceplate with 65 mm (2.6 in) of radial travel for facing, grooving, tapers and boring
- Built-in counterbalance in the faceplate offsets the slide as it moves
- Works as a normal machining center with drills and end mills when the U axis is centred
- Twin ball screw and rack-and-pinion U-axis drive with a full-circumference wiper
- HN series box-way structure with an 800 kg (1,764 lb) pallet load
Limitations
- Spindle speed tops out at 3,000 min-1
- Uses an NC5-63 shank, so BT50 tooling from other Niigata machines does not interchange
- Y travel of 650 mm is less than the 700 mm of the HN50E
- The specification table gives no spindle torque or motor power for this model
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
It is a slide on a rotating faceplate at the spindle head. Moving the slide changes the radius of a single-point tool while the spindle turns. Travel is 65 mm, with 40 mm listed as an option, and the U-axis rapid rate is 5 m/min.
02
Niigata's examples are facing, tapered thread cutting, back counterboring, taper machining, internal and external boring, and grooving. These are turning-type cuts made on a stationary workpiece. Conventional milling and drilling remain available.
03
X is 800 mm, Y is 650 mm and Z is 580 mm. The pallet is 500 mm × 500 mm, carries 800 kg (1,764 lb) evenly distributed, and accepts a workpiece of φ800 mm × 800 mm. Indexing is 1° as standard and 0.001° as an option.
04
The U-axis head and the 3,000 min-1 spindle are the same. The BFN63E is larger: a 630 mm × 630 mm pallet, 1,200 kg, travels of 1,080 mm, 880 mm and 830 mm, and a φ1,080 mm × 1,000 mm workpiece. The standard magazine of the BFN63E is a 62-tool chain type.
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