Forkardt Purchases a Mazak Variaxis 730

Forkardt, Traverse City, MI, a leading manufacturer of workholding solutions including both standard and applications-specific chucks, announces the purchase of a Mazak Variaxis 730 vertical machining center. The acquisition represents a significant investment by Forkardt to use the latest machining technology available.

According to Bill Sepanik, group general manager of Forkardt, “The new system expands our capacity to meet growing application needs.  “With this new machine we’ve positioned ourselves to better handle larger parts, hold tighter accuracies, and greatly improve cycle times.”

Sepanik adds, “We’re also able to reduce the number of setups due to the machine’s five axis capability, while saving time due to the ease of programming with the Variaxis.”

The Mazak Variaxis 730 has a highly-rigid, built-in tilting rotary table that allows workpieces with complex contours and features to be finished in just a single machine setup. The 5-axis vertical machining center allows for table tilts up to 150° in the A-axis and rotation to 380° C-axis.  The machine boasts an X, Y, Z travel of 28.7" x 33.4" x 22", with spindle speed at 10,000rpm. The machine, equipped with a 120-tool magazine, allows for machining on heavy parts with a maximum part load of 1,100 lb as well as a Big Plus Cat 50 Spindle. The tool holding system improves automatic tool change repeatability and has excellent rigidity, reduces chatter, and eliminates axial movement at high speeds.