Makino’s a51 horizontal machining center (HMC) provides the performance and reliability required in today’s manufacturing environments. The a51 is compact, simple to operate, easily maintained, and quickly deployable for manufacturing applications that require maximum throughput and reliability. The a51 will be on display at the 2009 WESTEC show in Los Angeles March 30-April 2, 2009, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
“The a51 is one of the most reliable horizontal machining centers ever made, routinely performing millions of tool changes with no replacement parts,” says Mark Rentschler, Makino marketing manager. “We’ve never replaced an X, Y, or Z way cover, and our way covers exceed 400,000 MTBF.”
The a51 is ideal for use by medium- to high-volume production shops, first- and second-tier automotive parts suppliers, and general contract machining operations. It provides high-speed performance, high reliability, durability, simplicity, and throughput with unmatched part cycle times. The 15.7-inch (400-mm) pallet Makino a51 comes with a 14,000-rpm spindle standard, with exceptional acceleration characteristics, minimal vibration, and a high-powered spindle option. It also has a ring-type, 60-tool magazine standard, with an option for a 40-tool magazine. Other features include an automatic pallet changer with safety guard, a standard three-point support system, an ergonomic swing operator control panel, and a standard air filtration unit and overhead shower coolant.
High-volume chip evacuation is facilitated by a wide center trough, with rear discharge lift up chip conveyor standard that includes a coolant leakage protection design. The a51 also has a smaller footprint than most competitive machines and is designed for easy maintenance access around the entire perimeter. Makino’s proprietary, next generation (GI) servo control with “radical mode” is a standard feature on all 1-Series machines. GI with radical mode helps provide the lowest cycle times achievable while maintaining accuracy and meeting the customer’s Cpk requirements.
The primary benefits of the Makino a51 include swift axis movement, faster spindle acceleration/deceleration, and a faster index table than competitive HMCs. Quicker automatic tool changer (ATC) speeds means even faster tool-to-tool (0.9 seconds) and chip-to-chip (2.3 seconds) times are available on the a51. Tool search times are also minimized so time out of cut is diminished. The a51 is capable of simultaneous B-axis movement with tool change and X-, Y-, Z-axis travel 22 x 22 x 23.6 inches (560 x 560 x 600 mm).
Makino is a global provider of advanced machining technology and application support, where new thinking takes shape for the metalcutting and die/mold industries. Makino manufacturing and service centers are located in the United States, Japan, Germany, Singapore, Italy, France, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, China, Mexico, Brazil, and India, and are supported by a worldwide distributor network. For more information call (800) 552-3288 or go to [www.makino.com].
