Mazak to Expand Kentucky Plant

Mazak Corporation recently announced that it will significantly expand the company's North American manufacturing plant in Florence, Ky. The expansion will allow for increased production and support of new and additional Mazak machine models in Kentucky and increase the facility's potential production capacity to 200 machines per month to meet customer demands. Completion of the expansion is set for late 2013, although some facets will be completed in 2012.

Coinciding with the growth of its production facility, Mazak is bolstering its customer service and support offerings with expansions to its National Technology Center, Center for Multi-Tasking and Manufacturing Excellence, and North American Parts Center. Combined, the three significant expansions will add more than 200,000 square feet to the company’s Kentucky manufacturing campus, increasing its total floor space to 800,000 square feet and positioning it as one of the largest machine tool factories in the nation.

As one stage of the manufacturing facility expansion, existing shop production offices currently housed within the plant will move to a new added area, which will create a spacious center aisle within the manufacturing building. The larger floor space will allow for the installation of new additional manufacturing equipment, including an advanced manufacturing cell that is unique to the industry and produced exclusively by Mazak.

The new cell will incorporate Mazak's modular PALLETECH system, which allows dissimilar machine tools to be integrated into the same manufacturing cell. To produce whole families of components for the company’s new larger machine models, the cell will include a Mazak ORBITEC 20 model Large Part Machining Center, two Horizontal Center Nexus Machining Centers and a full 5-axis INTEGREX e-1060V Vertical Machining Center.

“Mazak's original goal for the U.S. manufacturing campus was to allow us to be completely integrated into the market and, as a result, better serve manufacturers,” said Brian Papke, president of Mazak Corporation. “We have maintained our commitment to this goal over the years, which is evident in the sustained growth and expansion of our facilities. As are our customers, we remain committed to continuous improvement, and providing them with the resources they need as business evolves.”

For more information, visit www.mazakusa.com.