Mazak's Integrex i-150 multi-tasking machine has won recognition in Japan's Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun newspaper's awards.
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun is one of the largest industrial newspapers in Japan, and Mazak's i-150 has been nominate as "One of the Best 10 Products in Japan in 2008".
"This is a highly prestigious award, of which the entire company is rightfully proud," said Tony Saunders, Yamazaki Mazak sales director. "Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun is one of the leading journals for those that work in the Monodzukuri (manufacturing) industry, in Japan, and its views are well respected throughout the manufacturing world."
In making the award, the judges recognised that the Integrex i-150 defines a new standard for small multi-tasking machine tools by eliminating problems normally found on this class of machine – such as short axis strokes and restricted machining area.
From the initial concept through to the final production design, the Integrex i-150 has remained true to its brief, that of providing a highly efficient platform on which to machine small, complex components in as few operations as possible. It has achieved this by way of some truly innovative design elements, such as the work handling/tailstock device, and Mazak Intelligent Machine Functions, some seen for the first time on the i-150.
The ground-breaking work handling system can be indexed in 90° increments, allowing workpieces normally processed by machining centres to be completed in just one machine set-up. The result is a significant improvement in the productivity of small workpiece machining on a machine tool that has a 25 per cent smaller floor space requirement when compared with machines with similar machining capability.