Northwood Ironside 5
Image: northwoodmachine.com, Northwood
Key Specifications
Spindle Taper
Tool Capacity
Table Size
control
table orientations
table options
How much does the Northwood Ironside 5 cost?
Price estimate
We do not have a price for the Northwood Ironside 5 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
Drilling and trimming finished shapes is a different job from nesting flat sheets, and the Northwood Ironside 5 is the traveling gantry Northwood offers for it. It is a five-axis machine with an articulating head over a fixed table of 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) or a custom size.
Northwood's examples are specific: cutting holes in electrical enclosures, and drilling and trimming composite panels. Parts like these arrive already formed, so the head has to reach around them and approach each feature square to the surface. For that the machine has an A- and C-axis head with outboard encoders and 36 in (914 mm) of Z travel as standard, with 50 in (1,270 mm) and 72 in (1,829 mm) versions. The product page shows the tallest as a separate XL Z-axis configuration.
Every Ironside 5 has the FANUC 31iB5 Plus control and linear encoders, the same pairing as the larger Iron Horse XL 5. The three-axis Ironside 3 lists the FANUC 0i-Model F Plus instead. Head choice follows the shared list of nine liquid-cooled options from 7 kW (9.4 hp) to 50 kW (67.1 hp), with HSK63F or HSK63A tooling.
The 20-station tool changer sits at the base of the bridge. A line boring/drill unit is optional, and dual zone tables are available so that one zone can be reloaded while the gantry works in the other.
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| CNC Control | FANUC 31iB5 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 | Narrow |
| Table Options | Single or multiple vacuum zones, 3-standard automatic part location stops (additional available) |
| Spindle Head Option A | Head with 18 kW (24.1 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option B1 | Head with 15 kW (20.1 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option B2 | Head with 25 kW (33.5 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option B3 | Head with 42 kW (56.3 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option C1 | Head with 7 kW (9.4 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option C2 | Head with 11 kW (14.8 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option D | Head with 50 kW (67.1 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option E | Head with 25 kW (33.5 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Head Option F | Head with 20 kW (26.8 hp) liquid cooled |
| Spindle Mounted Fourth Axis | A- and C-axis with outboard encoders |
| Spindle Taper | HSK63F and HSK63A |
| Tool Capacity | 20 station (standard) |
| Z Axis Travel | 36 in (914 mm) standard, 50 in (1,270 mm) upgraded, 72 in (1,829 mm) XL upgraded |
| Tool Part Probe | Standard Northwood Probe (optional Renishaw, TS27R, NC4 non-contact or RMP400) |
| Line Boring Drill Unit | Optional |
| Vacuum Pumps | 40 hp Liquid Ring, 10 hp Dry Claw, 25 Dry Claw, 10 hp Rotary Vane, stacked system |
Specifications sourced from northwoodmachine.com — verified 2026-10-05
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- FANUC 31iB5 Plus control with linear encoders for direct feedback on every machine
- A- and C-axis articulating head with outboard encoders
- Z travel of 36 in (914 mm) as standard, with 50 in (1,270 mm) and 72 in (1,829 mm) versions
- 20-station tool changer mounted at the base of the bridge
- Dual zone tables available for loading one zone while the other is machined
Limitations
- Narrow orientation only, on the same table footprints as the three-axis Ironside 3
- The line boring/drill unit is optional, and the table names no sizes for it
- No saw or molder rows appear in the table, unlike the Ironside 3
- Northwood publishes no rotation ranges for the A- and C-axis and no feed rates
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
Northwood describes it as a five-axis traveling gantry with an articulating head and taller Z-axis for detailed drilling and trimming. Its named examples are cutting holes in electrical enclosures and drilling and trimming composite panels. The hero text also places it with panel processing in woods, phenolics and plastics.
02
The Ironside 3 is a three-axis machine with a C-axis option, 14 in (356 mm) of standard Z travel and a FANUC 0i-Model F Plus control. The Ironside 5 has an A- and C-axis head, 36 in (914 mm) of standard Z travel, a FANUC 31iB5 Plus control with linear encoders and a 20-station tool changer. Table sizes are the same.
03
A FANUC 31iB5 Plus with the Alpha iD servo system. Northwood states that all Ironside 5 machines have upgraded 31i-B5 FANUC controls and linear encoders for direct feedback, and the table adds outboard encoders on the A- and C-axis. A Northwood probe for tools and parts is standard.
04
36 in (914 mm) is standard. The upgrades are 50 in (1,270 mm) and a 72 in (1,829 mm) XL version, which the product page shows as its own XL Z-axis configuration alongside the single zone and twin zone layouts. Taller parts and long tools both draw on this travel once the head is tilted.
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