Downer Rail invests in a Mazak HCN-6800 NEO horizontal machining center.
Mazak’s HCN-6800 NEO is a truly productive horizontal machining center which can perform both aggressive roughing operations and high-precision surface finishing operations.
The machine base, axis movement, spindles, horsepower, and torque are all carefully considered and optimised for both roughing and finishing.
Productivity is further enhanced with an integrated 2-pallet changer that allows parts to be loaded/unloaded while the machine’s spindle continues to work uninterrupted.
To create both precision and rigidity, the Mazak HCN-6800 NEO includes the company’s hybrid linear roller guides on its X, Y, and Z axes, and a rigid mounting surface for the X- and Y-axis linear guides that minimises distortion on the bed during axis travel.
The machine’s base is an X-axis construction with the X-axis linear guides mounted on a slanted surface at the bottom of the machine’s column. The result is high-accuracy positioning and heavy-duty machining capability because the axis ballscrew is close to the column’s centre of gravity.
This construction also enables the machine to move pallet/table loads of up to 1,500 kg at rapid traverse rates of 60 m/min. in the X, Y, and Z axes. To handle these table loads, the machine sports a pallet clamping system that uses four conical cones. The design not only provides maximum clamping strength for high metal removal rates, but also ensures consistent part accuracy from the bottom of the work holding zone to the top.
The Mazak HCN-6800 NEO transfers driving power directly to the rotary table axis, eliminating common power transmission components, such as worm shafts and worm gears, that can generate backlash.
This Mazak HCN-6800 NEO is equipped with a 10,000-RPM direct-drive spindle as standard that puts out 45 kW/60 HP of power. The elimination of drive gears minimizes power loss and spindle vibration, improving machine surface quality and extending tool life.
Temperature-controlled cooling oil circulates around the spindle bearings and headstock to minimize any thermal change to the spindle. These integral spindle motor designs also allow for faster, more precise tapping along with quick and accurate spindle directional changes and precision tool tip positioning.
The company’s high-torque, 8,000-RPM spindle provides powerful machining of steel and cast iron and the high-speed, 16,000-RPM spindle with changeable bearing preload ensures rigidity during low-speed machining, as well as high-speed machining of aluminium.
Take a look at the Mazak HCN-6800 NEO specifications.
Downer is a leading provider of rail and transit systems in Australia, with over 155 years’ rail experience, providing end-to-end, innovative transport solutions.
Downer builds and maintains passenger trains across all major cities in Australia and also provides sustainable freight rail solutions, including design, manufacture, and maintenance with a focus on decarbonisation and digital.
The company specialises in turnkey solutions for complex projects and spans every project phase, from design and manufacture to through-life-support, condition monitoring and data analytics, fleet maintenance, operations and comprehensive overhaul of assets.