Mazak hosts Discover More With Mazak Midwest event

To highlight its extensive range of machine tools and automation, Mazak Corp. hosted the Discover More With Mazak Midwest event May 5-6 at the Mazak Midwest Technology Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. The machine tool builder reports that it has a long-standing commitment to job shops and the rigorous demands they face, and the event allowed attendees to explore Mazak innovations for driving results in 2026.

With nine Mazak machines, one job shop that has profited from those innovations is Sanks Machining Inc. in Staunton, Illinois, said Dustin Sanks, president, in his presentation May 5, which was repeated the next day. Sanks Machining produces small to large turned components, large gearboxes, airframe structures, consumable tool and die components, industrial machinery parts and frames.

Prior to 2013, the shop was loyal to another machine brand, with every CNC machine from that builder, Sanks said. That year the shop purchased its first Mazak, a Quick Turn 250MY Nexus turning center, which Sanks Machining still uses.

The other Mazak machines the shop uses are two Quick Turn 250MY machines, one bar-fed and one standard for machining almost all of the round work that has some milling on it; an FJV250 for smaller consumable die and mold parts; an FJV35/80 for large aerospace, gas and oil parts; a VTC300 3-axis mill “with the ability to be creative with larger parts due to frame design”; an HCN6800 for machine builds that require four sides of relative work; an Integrex i-500 with 120″ center-to-center for its large capacity and capability; and an incoming i-450S.

Sanks noted that the shop adds a machine while phasing out another, enhancing capabilities with each switch. “I don’t do ROIs. I look at historical jobs and incoming jobs. If I see a trend of larger turning work that we are winning, with the occasional large turning with intricate milled features, I need to look at Integrex. Bottom line is I read my current customer base and what I think my market holds and I try to bring the two together.”

He added that the Mazatrol CNC system is a big benefit with its ease of use and is common for job shop work not requiring surfacing or a specific machining strategy. It is used for about 70% of the shop’s workload.

“Mazatrol is very powerful for us,” Sanks said. “It gives flexibility and quick adjustment if something isn’t performing well. Mazatrol will help you tell the machine what you want to do. A common misconception is Mazak only runs off Mazatrol. Honestly, I thought the same thing before I educated myself.”

With the experience gained from machining with Mazaks, Sanks presented five lessons learned.

• What he would do differently. “Swing big now, don’t climb. If I had to do it over, I would have bought Integrex and 5-axis 10 years ago. Make yourself uncomfortable, as well as your banker!”
• Importance of operator training. “Train now and often.”
• Preventive maintenance practices. “Do this and listen to Mazak. Take care of your stuff.”
• Process standardization. “There are large magazines for a reason, tool data storing information. Utilize the brain power Mazak has implemented in these machines.”
• Continuous skill development. “Try things, go to training multiple times if your company will send you. I was in HOT class with operators, and I learned numerous new things while attending.”

Sanks emphasized that the machine builder’s culture promotes doing what is best for the customer.

“I believe this is why everyone I have interacted with from Mazak makes you feel like family,” he said. “They want you to succeed. I believe in the ‘together success’ mentality. I believe this is built into the culture from the top to the bottom. They believe everyone matters, from publicly traded companies to the Sanks Machining’s of the world. From the president down to distributors and all the people that make it happen every day. Together equals success.”