Mazak
What is Mazak?
Mazak, officially Yamazaki Mazak Corporation, is a Japanese machine tool manufacturer that develops and produces especially CNC machine tools and related production solutions for the machinery industry. The company is best known for its proprietary Mazatrol control systems as well as a broad range of machines for turning, milling, and multi-axis machining, complemented by automation, software, and production data collection solutions.
History of Mazak: From foundation to global machine tool manufacturer
Mazak’s roots go back to 1919, when Sadakichi Yamazaki founded the company in Nagoya. In its early phase, manufacturing focused on machines other than metalworking, but the company gradually evolved toward metalworking machines—especially lathes—and later to a wide offering of CNC machine tools. Mazak’s own historical timelines describe the company’s development path from early equipment into machine tools, followed by further expansion and a strong focus on developing NC and CNC technologies.
Mazak’s globalization in production and service networks
Mazak built its growth strongly on international markets, reflected in both its sales and service networks and in its own manufacturing in several countries. In the United States, Mazak began operations in 1968, and by 1974 had established its production and headquarters in Florence, Kentucky. In Europe, a significant step was the founding of a manufacturing facility in Worcester, United Kingdom in 1987, which also became a major European center.
Mazatrol as Mazak’s control system and in CNC programming
One of Mazak’s distinguishing features is the development of the Mazatrol (MAZATROL) control systems. Mazak introduced Mazatrol in 1981, describing it as an early “conversational programming” CNC concept—aimed at simplifying CNC machining programming and implementation in the shop floor compared to traditional G-code-based processes. In practice, this often means the same machine can be operated with Mazatrol-style conversational programming or alternatively with EIA/ISO-style programs, depending on the process and the shop’s routines.
Mazak machine tools as part of the shop’s machine fleet
Mazak’s product range is focused on the daily needs of workshops: CNC lathes, machining centers (vertical and horizontal), 5-axis machines, and a variety of multi-tasking machines (turning–milling). For the machine shop, it is crucial that the same family can be configured for both single process operations (e.g., turning or milling) and for “one setup” production where the part doesn’t need to be transferred to multiple machines. This is directly related to setup times, control of measurement errors, and how well the machine shop can make processes repeatable for series production or varying part flows.
Mazak automation: Palletizing and robotic solutions
Automation is often built around Mazak machines, with key elements including pallets, pallet changing, part handling, and cell concepts. In the machine shop, automation typically allows more consistent machine utilization, more controlled scheduling of setups and cutting tool changes, and increased capacity for unattended or minimally-manned operation. This can be achieved through pallet systems, separate robot cells, or broader FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System) solutions where multiple machines share similar part and pallet flow.
iSMART Factory as the digitalization of Mazak’s production in the manufacturing industry
Mazak uses the term iSMART Factory to describe its approach to production development, where data from machine tools, automation and systems is collected for production management and monitoring. The concept was publicized more widely in 2014, and its core involves monitoring the status of machines and production cells, data collection, and using this information to improve production transparency, maintenance, and process control. In the shop environment, this often ties in with discussions around IoT and Industry 4.0: the same goal—making decisions with less “guesswork” and more measured production data.
Summary
Mazak (Yamazaki Mazak) is a Japanese machine tool manufacturer founded in 1919. Its core in the manufacturing industry includes CNC machine tools, Mazatrol control systems, as well as solutions for automation and production digitalization. Historically, the company moved from early machinery to metalworking machines, rapidly internationalized (notably to the USA and UK), and has been a pioneer in developing CNC control and multi-tasking machines—capabilities that manufacturing shops utilize for both single parts and mass production.
