Forget everything you thought you knew about manufacturing, because Mazak’s HYBRID technology promises to change it all and take you beyond conventional multi-process machine tools into the real future of Multi-Tasking. The new HYBRID series pairs additive, subtractive and joining processes for highly productive combinations never before thought possible. The result? Reduced lead times and part costs, increased machining accuracy and part quality, expanded part-processing capabilities and better levels of productivity, flexibility and profitability than ever before.
Some machines in the HYBRID Multi-Tasking Series have already made an impact. Mazak’s VC-500 AM, for example, already features one of the new technologies, laser metal deposition. Also known as selective laser sintering (SLS), this technique uses a single high-power laser to melt metal powder as it’s shot from a nozzle and into the laser’s beam. For its HYBRID machines, Mazak has placed these nozzles on additive heads capable of moving in five axes, a significant improvement over the linear motion of most additive solutions. Thanks to this innovation, the VC-500 AM is ideal for joining together two different materials or building part features with super alloys like Inconel 718.
The next level of laser metal deposition also makes an appearance in the HYBRID lineup: multi-laser metal deposition. On upcoming INTEGREX models, the multi-laser head will perform micromachining and coating using advanced CNC controls to direct powder from any angle and combat any deviation due to gravity while the AM head is tilted. These AM heads can use the heat of multiple lasers to quickly coat stainless steel with materials like Stellite No. 6 for applications involving impellers or other heat and wear-sensitive parts.