Every shop faces constantly changing part-processing requirements as the needs of the industries they serve continue to evolve. Workpiece designs can change on a daily basis, and in most instances, they become more complex. This makes the role of the machinist increasingly difficult and the need for a highly capable, agile and user-friendly machine tool control interface and adaptable software all the more necessary for shops to keep pace.
With the release of our new SMOOTH TECHNOLOGY, and its brand new CNC called MAZATROL SmoothX, we’ve dramatically revolutionized the machine tool control, spanning the entire part production landscape from programming and setup to actual metal removal operations to automation to monitoring/data collection and transfer.
On the physical side, control consoles are the same physical size from one machine to the next. Multi-touch home screens function much like smart tablets, and their dashboard-type interfaces clearly and concisely display all necessary process data output.
The MAZATROL SmoothX CNC provides the flexibility and adaptability shops need to fulfill changing part-processing requirements. We know this, because we designed the control in direct response to real-world issues and customer input.
Here are just a few of those shops we had in mind during the development of the MAZATROL SmoothX CNC.
Shops processing parts that require lots of milling operations to remove large amounts of material can benefit from MAZATROL SmoothX CNC’s Smooth Corner Control. This feature reduces vibrations and helps shorten part-machining cycle times through cutter path adjustments made when machining into corners, which means corner surfaces are smoother, the risk of cutter gouging is reduced and cutters can feed much faster.
For shops with turning and/or multi-tasking machines, the new control’s Real-Time Tuning function features a special table rotating axis to help shorten machine tool non-cut times. When the weight of a workpiece is changed during machining, Real-Time Tuning detects the change and automatically adjusts the acceleration and deceleration of the table rotating axis to maintain an optimum balance.
Mold making shops and those serving the aerospace industry can forego conventional offset milling and instead use the new control’s Intelligent Pocket Milling. The function maintains a constant angle of tool engagement and cutting loads for optimum machining conditions. This results in the full use of a machine tool’s power capabilities, providing faster and more efficient machining, even with difficult-to-cut materials, and is great for any milling operation or machining large monolithic parts.
For those shops programming at the machine, the Quick MAZATROL function lets operators directly import 3D CAD models into the MAZATROL SmoothX CNC. This helps reduce the number of keystrokes needed to generate a program, reduces machine idle times and allows operators to quickly perform real-time checking of the model form. This also means users don’t have to know how to use a CAM system to work from a solid CAD model to create programs.
Shops with multiple-machine manufacturing cells can use one MAZATROL SmoothX CNC to monitor up to five additional machines in a cell or that are located near each other. This means operators can easily track their status from one machine display, which eliminates the need to physically go to each machine in the group.
For all shops looking to increase their productivity, SMOOTH TECHNOLOGY is the advanced platform that will make it happen. Contact your nearest Mazak Technology Center to learn how you can specifically utilize it in your operations.