Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Mazak Collaborate, Develop the VC-Ez WAAM Additive Manufacturing Platform

FLORENCE, Ky., September 9, 2026 – Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Mazak partnered for the development of a convergent metal additive manufacturing platform that unifies metal additive manufacturing and high-precision machining within production-relevant workflows. Featuring two of Mazak’s VC-Ez 20X Vertical Machining Centers, the technology allows manufacturers to deliver high-mix, low-volume parts with shorter lead times while maintaining an effective strategy for low-mix, high-volume production capability.

“We will showcase this innovative platform during IMTS 2026 in The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT)’s Emerging Technology Center,” said Dan Janka, President of Mazak. “This system represents Mazak’s longstanding relationship with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in terms of machining research and the advancement of hybrid additive manufacturing technology.”

Engineered for the future, this manufacturing platform combines a high-accuracy Mazak VC Ez-20X 5-axis machining center with a Fronius International Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) system designed to provide a flexible, high-volume, and expandable solution into a single automated manufacturing framework.

The Fronius WAAM system provides a highly efficient, large-scale metal 3D printing capability that uses electric arcs and standard welding wire to deposit metal layer by layer. It excels in speed, cost-effectiveness and design freedom compared to traditional manufacturing and powder-based 3D printing.

The system is designed for emergent operations and performs both additive and subtractive part processing operations. Once parts are grown through the additive operations, they move to the standard full 5-axis VC-Ez 20X milling machine for finish machining of the workpiece.

A Mazak automated palletized transfer system moves common pallets between each process to enable repeatable workpiece fixturing and efficient production. The platform supports applications ranging from structural repair to rapid tool production and near-net-shapes.

Mazak’s VC-Ez 20X machines bring to the system accurate processing of small complex parts via 3+2 or full 5-axis machining on a 5-axis rotary/tilt trunnion table with roller gear cam technology. Axis travels measure 31.49" in X, 20.07" in Y and 20.07" in Z (800 mm x 510 mm x 510 mm), with a rapid traverse rate of 1,260 ipm (32,000 mm/m) on all three axes.

The machines accommodate maximum workspace dimensions of 27.55” in diameter and 23” tall and weighing up to 880 lbs (400kg). The ergonomically designed machine requires only 104.21” x 146.32” of floor space, a 26.5% smaller footprint than other models, which makes them perfect for the WAAM system.

The VC-Ez 20X machines are outfitted with Mazak’s MAZATROL SmoothEz5 CNCs that streamline programming. Within the control, EIA/G-code and MAZATROL Conversational programming languages provide a full range of programming options directly on the machine. 

For more information, please visit the Mazak IMTS website.