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The Vertex 500-5XB five-axis CNC VMC from Mitsui Seiki is designed for producing turbine blades from forgings, castings, barstock and solid billets of titanium and stainless steel. The machine’s footprint measures approximately 65 square feet and the XYZ working envelope measures 550 × 600 × 500 mm. Rapid traverse rates are 48 m/min. in all linear axes. The A and B axes are represented in a rotating/tilting table, with the A axis tilting from +45 to -90 degrees and the B axis offering infinite positioning points. According to the company, the rotary axes improves manual and automatic load and unload operations, such as the integration of a robot and cellular manufacturing capability. The VMC features a cast bed and “box in a box” design for a rigid machine structure, the company says. All guideway mounting surfaces are hand scraped to increase volumetric accuracy. The spindle configuration is designed to cut hard titanium and stainless steel grades and is controlled by a FANUC control system.