With its highly rigid machine structure and low moment of inertia, the horizontal five-axis machining center on display at Intec offers the same efficiency as conventional four-axis machines. The one-piece machine bed with three-point set-up has a stepped bed design. Thanks to this stepped bed structure, the flow of force takes place over the shortest possible distance and should therefore contribute to increased efficiency.

The a500Z is equipped with a high-torque HSK-A63 spindle with 303 Newton meters. Contract manufacturers in the premium segment are confronted with frequent product changes, short reprogramming times and numerous positioning and indexing processes. According to the manufacturer, the a500Z is suitable here as it delivers high positioning accuracy due to its small distance between the pivot point of the C-axis and the workpiece position. During index machining as well as five-axis simultaneous machining, the main and auxiliary times can be reduced thanks to the high dynamics of the table unit. With travels of 730 millimetres (X-axis), 750 millimetres (Y-axis) and 700 millimetres (Z-axis), workpieces with a maximum size of 630 x 500 millimetres on average and a weight of up to 400 kilograms can be machined. The fast, automatic pallet changer (APC) and the option of horizontal loading also help to increase efficiency.

Accuracy and thermal stability
The a500Z owes its stability and accuracy over long machining times to the combination of a thermally symmetrical structure and effective heat dissipation from the spindle, ball screws and motors. The core cooling of the ball screws and the cooling of the bearings prevent heat build-up and thus also thermally induced deformations and the resulting errors. The DD motors of the B and C axes are also equipped with jacket cooling to effectively prevent heat build-up.

The five-axis table in Z configuration. © Makino

Effective coolant and chip management is essential when large quantities of chips have to be handled every minute and removed while maintaining high productivity. In contrast to the conventional five-axis set-up with rotary swivel table, the a500Z has a wide collecting tray underneath the table. The coolant flushing system, consisting of roof, wall and terrace flushing, prevents chips from accumulating and enables smooth removal, as the chips can fall directly into the central chip channel. The set-up station is also equipped with a terrace flushing system, which also prevents contamination by chips in this area.

In addition, the machine has the latest Professional 6 (Pro 6) control system, which the company presents as user-friendly and which should enable new operators to familiarize themselves with the machine in a short space of time.

Motion control system further developed
Functions such as the enhanced Geometric Intelligence (GI) motion control system reduce machining times, particularly for typical workpieces such as hydraulic components, gearbox housings and electronic housings. With the GI Drilling function, the spindle and tool are guided from one hole to the next in an arc-shaped movement instead of along a rectangular tool path. This reduces non-productive times compared to the usual drilling of hole patterns. The GI Milling function increases performance in two-dimensional milling. It allows the user to define a tolerance for corner grinding for each tool path during milling.

To increase efficiency, the Pro 6 control system is equipped with the Inertia Active Control (IAC) function. Based on feedback from the servomotor signals, the IAC function optimally adjusts the acceleration and deceleration of the B, C and Z axes and the tool magazine for the current workpiece weight.

The a500Z is prepared for both pallet automation and direct part handling. Intelligent automation solutions such as MMC2 and VIP with six-axis robots as well as commercially available standard automation systems can be connected to the machine. Integration of the a500Z into existing systems is also possible. as

Intec, Hall 5, B04/C05