Machining centre provides added flexibility

The rigid machine structure and low inertia of the a500Z ensure the same efficiency of this 5-axis horizontal machining centre that one would normally expect from a 4-axis machine. The one-piece bed casting, three-point support and slant-bed design offer stiffness and stability. The symmetrical slant structure, similar to some of the a1 series machines, ensures a minimised force loop for greater efficiency. With Makino’s technology, the swivel table comes with minimal overhang and excellent rigidity.

The a500Z has a high torque 303Nm HSK-A63 Makino spindle. Premium job shops are faced with frequent model changes, tight re-programming times, as well as numerous positioning and indexing operations as well as on-machine manual inspection times. The a500Z delivers high positioning accuracy thanks to the short distance between the A-axis pivot point and workpiece location. Minimisation of level differences at seams in index machining, and the ability to move heavy workpieces and enjoy fast acceleration and deceleration in simultaneous 5-axis machining further reduces cutting and non-cutting time.

The machining centre offers a 730mm X-axis, 750mm Y-axis and 700mm Z axis stroke accommodating a work piece of maximum size and weight of 630x500mm and 400kg respectively. The machine’s high speed automatic pallet changer (APC) and horizontal loading function are additional efficiency boosting features.

Operational accuracy and thermal control
A thermally symmetrical structure is combined with effective heat removal from the spindle, support structures like the ball screws and motors, to ensure the machine’s stability and machining accuracy during long hours of operation. The ball screws and nuts are core-cooled which prevent heat from building up and creating thermal distortion and subsequent errors. The direct-drive motors on the B/C axis are also fitted with cooling jackets to suppress heat generation.

Coolant management and chip evacuation
Effective coolant and chip management is an absolute necessity if a machine is intended for high productivity levels and consequently generates high volumes of chips per minute. Contrary to the conventional 5-axis trunnion table setup, the a500Z has a wide trough located beneath the table. A generous flow of coolant from the overhead shower, wall washing and terrace washing coolant system eliminates accumulation of chips and ensures that chips fall directly into the trough for efficient chip evacuation. The pallet loading system (PLS) also has terrace washing and a flushing system to facilitate better chip evacuation.

Makino´s latest controller: Professional 6
To further complement productivity, the a500Z features Makino Professional 6 (PRO 6) controller. The controller is easy to operate and flattens the learning curve for new operators.

Features like the advanced motion control Geometric Intelligence (GI) functions reduce overall cycle time in typical production components like hydraulic valves and electronic boxes. GI Drilling enables the spindle and tool to arc from hole to hole instead of following a square path. This reduces non-cutting times in comparison to common hole-pattern drilling. On the other hand, GI Milling is designed to improve performance in 2D milling. It lets the user define a corner-rounding tolerance on each milling path.

The Makino PRO 6 controller comes with Inertia Active Control (IAC) technology, for greater efficiency. The IAC gets feedback from the servo-motors and sets the acceleration and deceleration of the specific pallet at the optimum level.

Automation
The a500Z is ready for both pallet and parts handling automation. Intelligent automation solutions from Makino, including systems like MMC2 and VIP with 6-Axis robots as well as standard automation systems available in the market can be easily integrated with the machine. Also a500Z can be easily integrated into existing systems.