Quintax B2

$250,000 - $400,000 Updated 2026-03-17

Key Specifications

Spindle Taper

HSK-63F

Rapid Traverse

30 m/min (1,181 ipm)

Spindle Power

15 kW (20 hp)

machine type

5-axis CNC router/mill for foam and composites

x travel

3,000 mm (118 in)

y travel

1,500 mm (59 in)

Overview

The Quintax B2 is a 5-axis CNC routing and milling center engineered for foam pattern and model machining, composite layup tool production, and complex 3D form routing in soft-to-medium materials. Quintax, the US-based arm of the Belgian industrial routing group, developed the B2 as a mid-size 5-axis platform suited to pattern shops, foundry toolmakers, prototype manufacturers, and composite tooling producers who need high geometric flexibility in a compact working envelope. The B2 occupies the space between Quintax's large-format B-Series platform and their entry-level offerings, targeting shops with typical pattern and tooling sizes in the 1.5 to 3 meter range.

The B2 is built on a rigid welded steel gantry structure with T-slot and vacuum-ready work table. The machine's 5-axis head provides full simultaneous A and C axis motion, enabling the machine to follow complex 3D contours with tool-normal orientation across the full working envelope. This is critical for foam pattern machining and composite tool production where surface quality and dimensional accuracy directly determine the quality of castings and composite parts produced from the patterns. Quintax's structural approach emphasizes torsional rigidity in the gantry to resist the dynamic loads generated during 5-axis contouring at production feed rates.

The B2 spindle system is configured for the RPM range and collet options appropriate for foam cutting, EPS pattern machining, rigid polyurethane foam, soft tooling composites, and light CFRP trimming. Quintax offers the B2 with a range of spindle power options to match customer material and productivity requirements. The machine's tool changer supports the variety of roughing, semi-finish, and finish tooling required for complex 3D pattern work. Linear axis positioning is achieved through rack-and-pinion drives on longer axes and ballscrew drives on shorter axes, providing a combination of traverse speed and positioning accuracy appropriate for pattern shop and composite tooling applications.

Quintax supports the B2 with its US-based application team, providing programming assistance for complex 5-axis foam and composite tooling programs. The machine is compatible with major 5-axis CAM systems and Quintax provides post-processor development support. The B2 is used across a range of industries where large 3D patterns and composite tools are produced, including foundry and casting pattern shops, aerospace and automotive composite tooling manufacturers, architectural model fabricators, and entertainment and theme park prop and set piece producers who need dimensional accuracy in foam and composite structures.

Full Specifications

Parameter	Value
Machine Type	5-axis CNC router/mill for foam and composites
X Travel	3,000 mm (118 in)
Y Travel	1,500 mm (59 in)
Z Travel	700 mm (27.5 in)
A Axis Range	+/- 120°
C Axis Range	360° continuous
Spindle Speed	Up to 24,000 RPM
Spindle Motor Power	15 kW (20 hp)
Spindle Taper	HSK-63F
Rapid Traverse Rate	30 m/min (1,181 ipm)
Tool Changer	Automatic, 12-position
CNC Control	Siemens Sinumerik or NUM CNC
Table	T-slot steel table with vacuum-ready surface
Machine Weight	Approx. 7,000 kg (15,400 lb)
Manufacturer	Rapido
Model	21-4
Power Requirement	112 kW

Specifications sourced from machinio.com — verified 2026-03-28

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

Full simultaneous 5-axis capability across a 3 x 1.5 meter working envelope suits the typical size range of foundry patterns, composite layup tools, and prototype models requiring complex 3D contouring
Generous Z-axis clearance of 700 mm accommodates tall foam blocks and deep tooling blanks that would not fit under the Z-axis of standard low-clearance router configurations
Quintax's US-based application team provides specialized support for foam pattern and composite tooling programming, reducing the learning curve for shops migrating from manual pattern making to 5-axis CNC
Robust welded steel gantry construction provides the structural rigidity needed to maintain dimensional accuracy during 5-axis contouring in dense polyurethane foam, light composites, and model board
Compatible with major 5-axis CAM systems including Mastercam, PowerMILL, and NX CAM with Quintax-specific post-processors, integrating into existing CAM environments at pattern shops and tooling manufacturers

Limitations

The Quintax B2 is optimized for soft-to-medium material machining; it is not suited for production milling of hard aerospace aluminum, steel mold steels, or other hard metals that require a dedicated machining center
At this price point, the B2 competes with used 5-axis machining centers that offer higher rigidity for harder materials, requiring buyers to justify the B2's routing architecture advantages for their specific application
Quintax's overall brand recognition in North America is lower than major European routing brands such as CMS, SCM, or Biesse, which can affect resale value and wider industry familiarity with the platform

Best For

Foundry and casting pattern shops producing large 3D foam and polyurethane pattern blanks for sand casting, investment casting, and lost-foam casting applications requiring 5-axis contouring accuracy Composite tooling manufacturers machining EPS foam master models, polyurethane foam layup tools, and soft tooling composite molds for prototype and short-run composite parts Aerospace and automotive prototype shops producing accurate 3D models and mock-up structures from foam, model board, and light composite blanks for design review and fit-check purposes Entertainment and theme park production companies routing large-format 3D prop structures, scenic elements, and architectural replicas from EPS foam with 5-axis surface detail

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What materials is the Quintax B2 best suited for?

The Quintax B2 is optimized for soft-to-medium density materials including expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, rigid polyurethane foam, tooling board, model board, machinable wax, MDF, wood composites, and light fiber-reinforced composites such as GFRP laminates. It handles light aluminum routing for tooling applications. It is not designed for production machining of hard metals, tool steels, or hard aerospace alloys, which require a dedicated machining center with higher structural rigidity.

02 How does the B2 compare to the Quintax B-Series platform?

The Quintax B-Series is the larger-format version of the same 5-axis gantry router architecture, offering extended X-axis travel configurations for extra-large patterns, molds, and composite tools. The B2 is the mid-size configuration in this family, providing similar 5-axis capability in a footprint suited to shops with pattern sizes in the 1.5 to 3 meter range. The B-Series and B2 share the same gantry architecture, 5-axis head design, and control platform, so the programming environment and tooling are consistent across both sizes.

03 What CNC control options are available on the Quintax B2?

The Quintax B2 is available with Siemens Sinumerik and NUM CNC control platforms. Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl is the most common choice for customers integrating the B2 into CAM environments that already use Siemens-compatible post-processors, particularly in aerospace and automotive tooling shops. NUM CNC is an alternative for customers with existing NUM installations or specific programming preferences. Quintax's application team assists with control selection and post-processor configuration for both options.

04 Can the B2 route carbon fiber composite laminates?

Yes, the Quintax B2 can route light carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates, GFRP panels, and honeycomb composite structures. For composite routing, appropriate dust extraction must be provided to capture abrasive fiber dust, and cutting parameters must be adjusted for the material's abrasive characteristics. The B2 is not optimized for high-volume production composite routing of thick or multi-ply aerospace laminates — for those applications, a dedicated composite routing center with higher spindle power and enhanced dust extraction would be more appropriate.

05 Does Quintax offer training for foam pattern machining on the B2?

Yes. Quintax's US-based application team provides operator training for foam pattern and composite tooling machining on the B2, including tool selection, feed rate and spindle speed optimization for different foam densities, CAM programming for 5-axis foam contouring, and fixturing approaches for large foam blocks. Training is typically provided on-site at the customer's facility during machine installation and commissioning, with additional remote support available for new programming challenges as the shop's program library develops.