Mazak and ORNL integrate Fronius WAAM with five-axis machining
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), based in Tennessee, USA, and Mazak, in Florence, Kentucky, have partnered to develop a convergent metal Additive Manufacturing platform that integrates a Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) machine from Fronius International, Pettenbach, Austria, and two Mazak VC-Ez 20X Vertical Machining Centres. The platform is intended to support high-mix, low-volume part production with shorter lead times, while also accommodating low-mix, high-volume production.
“We will showcase this innovative platform during IMTS 2026 in The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT)’s Emerging Technology Center,” stated Dan Janka, President of Mazak. “This system represents Mazak’s longstanding relationship with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in terms of machining research and the advancement of hybrid Additive Manufacturing technology.”
The Fronius WAAM machine uses electric arcs and standard welding wire to deposit metal layer by layer for large-scale metal Additive Manufacturing. According to Mazak, the machine offers advantages in speed, cost and design freedom compared with conventional manufacturing and powder-based Additive Manufacturing.
The platform is designed for emergent operations and performs both additive and subtractive processing operations. Following AM production, parts are transferred to a VC-Ez 20X five-axis milling machine for finish machining.
A Mazak automated palletised transfer system moves common pallets between the processes, enabling repeatable workpiece fixturing. Applications are said to range from structural repair and rapid tool production to the production of near-net-shape components.
The VC-Ez 20X machines support 3+2 and full five-axis machining of small, complex parts, using a five-axis rotary/tilt trunnion table with roller-gear cam technology. Axis travels are 800 × 510 × 510 mm (31.49 × 20.07 × 20.07”) in X, Y and Z, respectively, with a rapid traverse rate of 32,000 mm/min (1,260 ipm) on all three axes.
The machines accommodate workpieces up to approximately 700 mm (27.55 in) in diameter and 584 mm (23”) high, weighing up to 400 kg (880 lb). Each machine requires approximately 2,647 × 3,716 mm (104.21 × 146.32”) of floor space, which Mazak states is a 26.5% smaller footprint than other models and supports integration with the WAAM machine.
The VC-Ez 20X machines are equipped with Mazak’s MAZATROL SmoothEz5 CNCs. The controls provide EIA/G-code and MAZATROL Conversational programming options directly on the machine.
