2008 Mazak Variaxis 500-5XII CNC 5-Axis Vertical Machining Center

The 2008 Mazak Variaxis 500-5XII is a twin-pallet five-axis vertical centre that packs aerospace agility into a footprint barely larger than a three-axis mill, thanks to two 15.75 x 15.75 in tables that swap in seconds and support parts up to 661 lb. Travels of 20.08 x 20.08 x 18.11 in move at 1 969 IPM, while a roller-cam trunnion tilts –120 deg to +30 deg in A and spins 360 deg in C at 0.001 deg resolution, letting ball-end cutters finish impellers in a single set-up. A 20 000 RPM BT-40 spindle delivers 35 ft-lb above 8 000 RPM and pipes coolant through at 1 000 PSI, so indexable drills plunge into Inconel without pecking. Sixty tools queue on a chain and Matrix control with conversational ezykets weave five-axis surfacing and probing cycles side-by-side, assisted by Renishaw NC4 laser and OMP60 work probe. Chip load stays steady thanks to a Mayfran Concept conveyor and wash-down guns at each station.

Compared with the earlier Variaxis 500-5X (single pallet, 12 000 RPM spindle, 40-tool magazine), the 5XII doubles tool count, ups spindle speed to 20 000 RPM and adds a second pallet—yet both share identical cast-iron frames and 20.08 x 20.08 in strokes, so existing fixtures slide straight onto the upgraded machine while throughput soars.