High Machining Accuracy Comes from Within

To maintain your profitability and competitiveness, you have to produce perfect parts every time. Extremely high part machining accuracy results in better product performance, efficiency, cost savings, improved part fit and finish and increased competitiveness in high-end industries for manufacturers. While some builders may provide high accuracy, the real challenge isn’t just reaching high accuracy once. It’s maintaining it run after run, and that starts with machine design.

The innovative design features of Mazak’s FJV double-column vertical machines and the HCN NEO Series of horizontal machining centers are two prime examples of form meeting function. Both machines ensure continuous, high-accuracy performance like no others in the industry.

Users of FJVs and HCN NEOs also benefit from the done-in-one aspect of these machines – both roughing and precision machining on the same platform. Additionally, not only are these shops getting near jig borer accuracies with the proper foundation and temperature-controlled environment, but they also gain the advantages of a jig borer coupled with machines that have automatic pallet changers and automatic tool changers. 

FJV Series is big on accuracy

We built our FJV Series machines for high-accuracy, high-efficiency machining of large workpieces. We’ve produced double-column vertical machining centers since 1982 and incorporate our extensive accumulated experience into every Mazak vertical machining center produced. As a result of that experience, we constructed the FJV machines on high-rigidity bases with symmetrical designs, integral spindle/motors, linear roller guides and ball screw core cooling.

We applied symmetrical construction to the machine headstocks. We then equipped the machines with integral spindle/motors without transmissions, so any heat resulting from high speed operation displaces uniformly through the headstock to ensure high accuracy machining. Taking thermal stability a step further, temperature controlled cooling oil circulates through the outside of the spindle and motor housing to eliminate thermal distortion that could negatively affect machine precision.

Besides spindle and motor housings, temperature controlled cooling oil also circulates through the ball screw cores to ensure stable machining accuracy over extended periods of high speed operation. Plus, because the X, Y and Z-axis ball screws connect directly with servo motors, the machines have minimized backlash and thus higher positioning accuracy when compared to gear train or timing belt drives. We paired the ball screws with linear roller guides that also contribute to higher positioning accuracy while providing rigidity and considerably lower friction, allowing for fast feedrates applied over a wide range of machining applications from heavy duty to high-speed cutting.

HCN NEOs hold high-precision title

With positioning accuracies three times better than ISO standard, our HCN NEO machines are the industry’s highest precision horizontal machining centers, and that precision starts at the machine beds.

We reinforced high-rigidity beds with strategically located ribs for stability during X and Z-axis travel. From there, we positioned the mounting surfaces of the X-axis linear guide rails at different heights for even more rigidity along with high-speed and high-accuracy positioning.

The HCN series uses linear roller guides on the X, Y and Z axes for high accuracy and heavy-duty machining. As with our FJV machines, temperature controlled cooling oil circulates through the X, Y and Z-axis ball screw cores for stable machining accuracy over extended periods of high-speed operation.

But wait, there’s more

To further enhance the mechanical precision of our FJV and HCN NEO machines, we added our Ai Thermal Shield heat-displacement-control technology. As part of our SMOOTH Technology digital solutions, Ai Thermal Shield uses new algorithms to automatically determine and apply compensation according to temperature changes to ensure even higher machining accuracy.

Based on spindle speed and temperature of the machine, Ai Thermal Shield suppresses changes in the cutting edge position. It stabilizes continuous machining accuracy through meticulous machine control that takes into account temperature changes, machine position, coolant ON/OFF and other factors. Once you perform a workpiece measurement after machining, Ai Thermal Shield uses that data to achieve optimal thermal displacement tool offset.

No other machine tool builder than Mazak better understands the benefits that high-accuracy machines provide for today’s manufacturers. With over 100 years of engineering knowhow, we produce machines tools that not only provide high accuracy, but also deliver the performance part after part. We make you competitive, cost-efficient and precise.