Redesigned Horizontal Machining Center Extends Part Processing Versatility

Photo Credit: Mazak Corp.

The HCN-6800 NEO from Mazak’s HCN Series of horizontal machining centers (HCM) has received several upgrades in terms of efficiency and ease of use. It features a fully redesigned enclosure, standard and optional equipment and improvements throughout the machine for a wider range of part-production applications, reduced cycle times and floor space requirements, increased maximum part and tool capacities and streamline automation.

Improvement areas include the machine’s standard spindle, table and magazine, including an upgraded, new standard 43-tool drum-type magazine that reduces tool exchange times. A redesigned ATC door is now servo-driven; the new design will now also accommodate a longer tool. Likewise, for ease of maintenance, the machine incorporates hydraulic/motorized pallet changer mechanisms and an easier-to-access maintenance panel.

The machine’s Mazatrol SmoothG CNC has expanded functionality with the Windows 10 operating system. In addition to the standard suite of Smooth Technology solutions and full EIA/ISO and Mazatrol compatibility, the HCN-6800 NEO provides users with access to the new Ai Thermal Shield technology first debuted on the Mazatrol SmoothAi CNC. This advanced system is said to use machine learning and modeling to immediately compensate for changes in machine and ambient temperature over the course of operation, ensuring a high degree of accuracy even over long machining cycles.

In addition to enhanced standard features, this NEO model offers additional options, Mazak says. A high-torque 8,000 rpm spindle provides greater torque. An optional direct-drive motor table offers what is said to be the fastest indexing time in its class and high-accuracy positioning due to its rotary scale.

The HCN-6800 NEO can accommodate parts weighing up to 3,306.93 pounds and as part of the NEO configuration, the machine enclosure itself has been reduced in size; with a chip conveyor, the model has a width of 134.06" and depth of 266.61".