ATC Provides Ample Workpiece Storage for Unmanned Operation of Machine
The 32-position Auto Work Charger on the Mazak Variaxis i-300 five axis vertical machining center accommodates workpieces up to 13.779" in diameter, 12.401" high and weighing as much as 135 lbs.
Mazak’s Variaxis i-300 five-axis vertical machining center is more flexible and efficient with the addition of a high-capacity Auto Work Changer (AWC). Mazak designed the Variaxis i-300 AWC for automated small- to medium-size part-processing operations and for machining aluminum and other nonferrous metals for a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, medical and automotive. The machine comes standard with a multiple drum-tool storage system that holds as many as 145 tools, while the 32-position AWC accommodates workpieces up to 13.779" in diameter, 12.401" high and weighing as much as 135 lbs. This combination of ample tool and workpiece storage capacities enables shops to achieve continuous unmanned operation and single-setup, done-in-one processing. As production needs increase, shops can expand the AWC and tool storage capacities to 40 workpieces and 505 tools (in increments of 60 tools), respectively.
The Variaxis i-300 AWC has a standard 12,000-rpm spindle in speeds ranging to 30,000 rpm. Mazak says its integral spindle/motor design and temperature-controlled coolant enable vibration-free, high-speed operation. The machine’s trunnion-style rotary table guarantees high rigidity and accuracy in the A and C axes, while its compact spindle cartridge, CAM-driven tool changer, ballscrew core cooling and MX Hybrid Roller Guide System all contribute to operator ease-of-use and machining precision.
The Variaxis i-300 AWC features Mazak’s Mazatrol SmoothX CNC control. Its software solutions include the Smooth Energy Dashboard to help shops meet sustainability goals, Smooth Thermal Shield and Mazacheck to calibrate the temperature and axes alignment, respectively, and multi-touch capacitive screens for searching through and modifying cutting programs. The latest addition to the Smooth Technology suite is Smooth AWC, which keeps track of present and future tool resources, both at the machine and, with the addition of an optional interface, at an external PC. This enables continuous unmanned operation.
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