Yamazaki Mazak will be returning to Southern Manufacturing & Electronics in 2023 (7-9 February) with a stand centred on accessible 5-axis automation for subcontractors.

Taking pride of place on the Mazak stand will be its UK-made CV5-500 machining centre, supported with a ‘plug-and-play’, low-footprint MA-20/400 part-loading automation system.

The highly versatile 5-axis machine, with a 500 mm diameter table, is unique in its category due to its high-rigidity bridge construction with a fully supported trunnion table that travels in the Y-axis direction under the bridge, ultimately delivering a highly accurate and extremely compact machining solution.

With rapid traverse rates of 36 m/min in the X-, Y- and Z-axes, the machine delivers agile performance that is boosted by an optional 18,000 rpm 18.5 kW high-speed spindle, which includes core cooling through the X-, Y- and Z-axes ballscrews, all backed up by Mazak’s comprehensive Thermal Shield to ensure stable machining accuracy

The CV5-500 has been designed for easy integration with automation, with access for robot loading at the side of the machine. The model on display at Southern Manufacturing will feature a MA-20/400 fully integrated part-loading solution. Raw material and finished components are exchanged to and from the machine by a 20kg payload robot with a double gripper hand for simultaneous load and unload to minimise the non-cutting time.

The major benefit of the MA robot solution is the ability to increase production on demand through lights-out operation, without the burden of adding additional labour. Moreover, the cell also offers the potential to extend the productive hours of the machine with unmanned and lights-out running either overnight or at weekends.

Crucially, no specialist knowledge for either programming or setup is required for the MA, which results in a very short learning curve for operators. With the GUI embedded seamlessly into the SmoothX CNC, operating the robot is exceptionally intuitive with as little as five minutes required to set-up and change over workpieces.

Alan Mucklow, Managing Director UK, Eire and National Distributors at Yamazaki Mazak, comments: “Investment in machine tool technology which can be easily automated is key to UK manufacturers remaining competitive in challenging market conditions. This has been a major focus for our Applications Engineering team, to ensure we are bringing to market solutions that can quickly impact the output of engineering firms up and down the country.

“The CV5-500 with MA-20/400 perfectly encapsulates this ethos by providing a highly affordable and compact automated solution, ideally suited for subcontractors, start-ups and job shops wishing to automate prismatic components in medium to small batch sizes. I am confident it will be one of the standout machining solutions on display at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics and myself and the Mazak team are very much looking forward to returning to the exhibition.”