Northwood Iron Horse 3
Image: northwoodmachine.com, Northwood
Key Specifications
Spindle Taper
Tool Capacity
Table Size
Spindle Power
control
table orientations
How much does the Northwood Iron Horse 3 cost?
Price estimate
We do not have a price for the Northwood Iron Horse 3 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 Northwood Iron Horse 3 is a three-axis moving table CNC router for nested-based sheet work, offered on 49 x 97 in (1,245 x 2,464 mm), 61 x 121 in (1,549 x 3,073 mm) and 61 x 145 in (1,549 x 3,683 mm) tables or a custom size. Northwood builds it with a single table or twin tables, and in a wide or a narrow orientation.
Those layout choices decide how the machine fits the floor. Northwood describes the wide orientation as the more compact footprint and the narrow one as giving access on three sides of the table for loading and unloading. Twin tables can lock together into one larger work surface for big parts. Run with a gap between them, they allow pendulum processing, where one table is loaded while the other is cut. The fixture table itself is an aluminum matrix with single or multiple vacuum zones.
Spindle power is a choice of 13 kW (17.4 hp) air cooled, 16 kW (21.5 hp) liquid cooled or 25 kW (33.5 hp) liquid cooled, on an HSK63F or HSK63A interface. The tool changer rides along with the head and holds 12 tools as standard, with 8, 10 and 20 listed as options. Z travel is 14 in (356 mm), or 24 in (610 mm) with the upgrade, so this is a sheet and panel machine and not one for tall fixtures. A spindle-mounted C-axis is listed as the fourth axis.
Line boring is where the option list gets long. Drill units run from 5-line to 40-line, including a 21-line block with 13 vertical and 8 horizontal spindles. The control is a FANUC 0i-Model F Plus with the Alpha iD servo system. If the work needs a tilting head, the Iron Horse 5 puts an A- and C-axis head over the same table sizes and raises standard Z travel to 36 in (914 mm).
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| CNC Control | FANUC 0i-Model F Plus with Alpha iD Servo System |
| Table Size | 49 x 97 in (1,245 x 2,464 mm), 61 x 121 in (1,549 x 3,073 mm), 61 x 145 in (1,549 x 3,683 mm), custom |
| Table Orientations | Single or twin (wide or narrow) |
| Table Options | Single or multiple vacuum zones, 3-standard automatic part location stops (additional available) |
| Spindle Motor Power | 13 kW (17.4 hp) air cooled, 16 kW (21.5 hp) liquid cooled, 25 kW (33.5 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Mounted Fourth Axis | C-axis |
| Spindle Taper | HSK63F and HSK63A |
| Tool Capacity | 12 standard (optional 8, 10 and 20) |
| Z Axis Travel | 14 in (356 mm) standard, 24 in (610 mm) upgraded |
| Tool Part Probe | Standard Northwood Probe (optional Renishaw TS27R, NC4 non-contact or RMP400) |
| Line Boring Drill Unit | 5-line, 9-line, 21-line (13 vertical, 8 horizontal), 29-line, 35-line (all vertical), 40-line |
| Vacuum Pumps | 40 hp Liquid Ring, 10 hp Dry Claw, 25 Dry Claw, 10 hp Rotary Vane, stacked system |
| Dust Collection | 10-inch double-sided dust shroud with optional automatic blast gate |
| Optional Features | Fencing, Keyence scanners, MQL, zipper ducts, barcode reader |
Specifications sourced from northwoodmachine.com — verified 2026-10-05
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- Three catalogued table sizes from 49 x 97 in (1,245 x 2,464 mm) to 61 x 145 in (1,549 x 3,683 mm), with custom sizes on request
- Single or twin tables in a wide or narrow orientation; twin tables lock together for large parts or run pendulum for small ones
- Spindle choice of 13 kW (17.4 hp) air cooled, 16 kW (21.5 hp) liquid cooled or 25 kW (33.5 hp) liquid cooled
- Line boring/drill units from 5-line to 40-line, including a 35-line all-vertical block
- A Northwood tool and part probe is standard, with Renishaw TS27R, NC4 non-contact or RMP400 as options
Limitations
- Z travel is 14 in (356 mm) as standard and 24 in (610 mm) at most, which rules out tall parts and deep fixtures
- The standard ride-along tool changer holds 12 tools; the 20-tool changer is an option
- Northwood's table gives no rapid traverse rates, spindle speed or machine weight for the Iron Horse 3, so those figures have to be requested
- The automatic blast gate on the 10-inch dust shroud, fencing, Keyence scanners, MQL and the barcode reader are all optional
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
Northwood lists three: 49 x 97 in (1,245 x 2,464 mm), 61 x 121 in (1,549 x 3,073 mm) and 61 x 145 in (1,549 x 3,683 mm), plus custom sizes. Each can be built as a single table or as twin tables, and the tables carry single or multiple vacuum zones with three automatic part location stops as standard.
02
It is a floor-space and access decision, not a change in the specification. Northwood describes the wide orientation as the more compact footprint. The narrow orientation gives access on three sides of the table, which makes loading and unloading easier. Both orientations are available with single and with twin tables.
03
There are three spindle ratings: 13 kW (17.4 hp) air cooled, 16 kW (21.5 hp) liquid cooled and 25 kW (33.5 hp) liquid cooled, with HSK63F and HSK63A tool interfaces. The ride-along automatic tool changer holds 12 tools as standard, and Northwood lists 8, 10 and 20 as optional capacities.
04
The Iron Horse 3 moves the table, and it can be laid out wide or narrow with one or two tables. The Ironside 3 is a traveling gantry in the narrow orientation. Table sizes and spindle ratings are the same on both. The Ironside 3 lists a 36 in (914 mm) Z upgrade and a molder head, where the Iron Horse 3 stops at 24 in (610 mm) of Z.
05
Line boring/drill units are listed in 5-line, 9-line, 21-line, 29-line, 35-line and 40-line versions. The 21-line unit has 13 vertical and 8 horizontal spindles and the 35-line unit is all vertical. Northwood calls these units optional, so a base Iron Horse 3 is a routing machine with a tool changer.
