Worcester-based Yamazaki Mazak UK ltd (www.mazakeu.co.uk) was showcasing machine applications for a variety of industry sectors, including aerospace, energy and automotive.

Indeed, the company says its Integrex i-400S machining centre, which is equipped with Mazak’s SmoothX CNC, is “ideally suited to automotive work” due to its new Smooth Gear Cutting software; this combines advanced multi-tasking machines and Mazak’s latest developments in gear-manufacturing processes — including Smooth Gear Skiving, Smooth Gear Milling and Smooth Gear Hobbing.

Furthermore, the software allows operators to easily develop complex gear-machining programs by entering gear data via a user-friendly dialogue on the CNC.

The i-400S, which has a swing diameter of 658mm and accommodates parts up to 1,519mm long, features Mazak’s new Smooth Spindle Analytics, which provides instant spindle vibration analysis and feedback, increasing both accuracy and productivity, while facilitating full traceability of component manufacture.

Following the promising signs of resurgence in the UK’s oil and gas industry, Mazak brought a number of productivity-enhancing solutions to MACH for sub-contractors in the energy sector, including the latest extension to its flagship Integrex range — the Integrex i-500, which is designed to further extend the capacity of its i-series and meet the growing demand for larger workpieces synonymous with the oil and gas industry.

It accommodates ‘exceptionally long parts up to 700mm in diameter (three bed lengths are available for maximum turning lengths of 1,574, 2,594 and 3,074mm respectively), is equipped with a high-output high-torque 37kW 2,500rev/min main turning spindle, and a newly developed compact 24kW 12,000rev/min mill spindle head (this is designed to minimise potential interference to effectively provide a larger machining area).

Also on show was another machine from Mazak’s portfolio of multi-tasking solutions — an Integrex i-800V/8.

This combines full five-axis milling, powerful turning operations and pallet-changing capabilities, allowing it to quickly process large highly complex workpieces on a vertical platform.

It is equipped with a tilting high-power 10,000rev/min 37kW main spindle for undertaking a wide range of five-axis applications, and a 45kW turning table powered by a direct-drive motor.

Moreover, the machine comes with a two-pallet changer that provides unattended operations and off-cycle part set-up.

Targeting applications in the aerospace sector was Mazak’s HCR-5000S, a five-axis horizontal machining centre developed for the high-speed machining of aluminium — an application that presents a number of machining challenges,
particularly the management of chip volumes created during the cutting process.

This machine is equipped with a tilting rotary table and a through-centre conveyor designed to quickly evacuate large volumes of chips, plus a 630mm-diameter table with 500kg capacity.

It also offers fast acceleration and a high jerk rate — plus the option of a 30,000rev/min 80kW high-performance milling spindle for ultra-high productivity.