CNC Drilling & Milling
Element 500
Drill, tap and cut plate on one gantry, with the GD40 drill head for bolt holes up to 1-9/16"
6' to 16'
Cutting width
Up to 150'
Cutting length
26 ga. to 8" plate
Material thickness
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Ideal For
- Structural and bridge fabricators who want drilled holes and cut parts from one machine
- Shops that need drilling capacity but have no floor space for a separate drill line
- Fabricators moving away from plasma-cut bolt holes to drilled holes
Cutting width
6' to 16'
Cutting length
Up to 150'
Material thickness
26 ga. to 8" plate
Drill head
GD40, Suhner spindle with CAT 40 taper
Key Features
Element 500 Features
Standard features that set this machine apart in demanding manufacturing environments.
Precision & Performance
- Reinforced steel weldment beam built to hold accuracy under drilling loads
- Servo-controlled hold-down clamp grips the plate for low-vibration drilling
- Automatic tool length measurement for depth accuracy
- Dedicated Y-axis motor parks the drill carriage clear of the torches when it is not in use
- Helical rack and pinion drives, precision linear ways and AC servo motors for clean motion around holes and corners
- TwinSAFE functional safety on board, plus a key switch that locks out motion during maintenance
Ease of Operation
- Pneumatic draw bar for fast, fully automatic tool changes
- Global Connect touchscreen control with job scheduling, local nesting and a standard shape library
- Virtual Service remote consultation and diagnostics
Safety & Reliability
- Integrated air nozzles clear chips before the next tool or torch goes to work
- SureStop magnetic collision sensor on plasma torches, with quick reset
Cutting Capability
- GD40 drill head on the same beam as the cutting tools, so plates are drilled and cut in one setup
- Drills holes up to 1-9/16" and also taps, counterbores and countersinks
- Minimum quantity lubrication through the tool or from an external nozzle
Video
See the Element 500 in Action
Full Specifications
Element 500 Technical Details
Complete specifications, standard features, and optional upgrades.
- Cutting width
- 6' to 16'
- Cutting length
- Up to 150'
- Material thickness
- 26 ga. to 8" plate
- Drill head
- GD40, Suhner spindle with CAT 40 taper
- Maximum drilling diameter
- 1-9/16" (40 mm)
- Drilling operations
- Drilling, tapping, counterboring, countersinking
- Tool storage
- Optional 12-tool stationary tool changer
- Torch stations
- Up to six (maximum two plasma)
- Positioning speed
- Up to 2,600 IPM
- Contouring speed
- Up to 400 IPM
- Motion accuracy
- +/-0.010" over 72" of travel
- Repeatability
- 0.010"
- Drive system
- Helical rack and pinion, AC servo motors
- CNC control
- Global Connect, 64-bit Windows 11, 18.5" touchscreen
- Software
- OmniWin CAD/CAM
- Electrical
- Designed and built to UL/CUL
| Cutting width | 6' to 16' |
| Cutting length | Up to 150' |
| Material thickness | 26 ga. to 8" plate |
| Drill head | GD40, Suhner spindle with CAT 40 taper |
| Maximum drilling diameter | 1-9/16" (40 mm) |
| Drilling operations | Drilling, tapping, counterboring, countersinking |
| Tool storage | Optional 12-tool stationary tool changer |
| Torch stations | Up to six (maximum two plasma) |
| Positioning speed | Up to 2,600 IPM |
| Contouring speed | Up to 400 IPM |
| Motion accuracy | +/-0.010" over 72" of travel |
| Repeatability | 0.010" |
| Drive system | Helical rack and pinion, AC servo motors |
| CNC control | Global Connect, 64-bit Windows 11, 18.5" touchscreen |
| Software | OmniWin CAD/CAM |
| Electrical | Designed and built to UL/CUL |
- GD40 drill head on the same beam as the cutting tools, so plates are drilled and cut in one setup
- Drills holes up to 1-9/16" and also taps, counterbores and countersinks
- Pneumatic draw bar for fast, fully automatic tool changes
- Reinforced steel weldment beam built to hold accuracy under drilling loads
- Servo-controlled hold-down clamp grips the plate for low-vibration drilling
- Integrated air nozzles clear chips before the next tool or torch goes to work
- Automatic tool length measurement for depth accuracy
- Minimum quantity lubrication through the tool or from an external nozzle
- Dedicated Y-axis motor parks the drill carriage clear of the torches when it is not in use
- Helical rack and pinion drives, precision linear ways and AC servo motors for clean motion around holes and corners
- Global Connect touchscreen control with job scheduling, local nesting and a standard shape library
- SureStop magnetic collision sensor on plasma torches, with quick reset
- TwinSAFE functional safety on board, plus a key switch that locks out motion during maintenance
- Virtual Service remote consultation and diagnostics
- Stationary tool changer and storage unit holding 12 tools, with larger storage available
- Bevel-S plasma bevel unit: +/-45 degree bevels, I, A, V, Y, X and K weld profiles, and bevel angle changes on the fly
- Straight plasma cutting stations
- ALFA or Turbo Flame oxyfuel torches for mild and low alloy steel over 2"
- Omniflow automated gas regulation, FT100 torch igniter and automatic height control for oxyfuel
- Automatic torch spacing with programmable torch selection
- Plate markers: plasma, inkjet and pin marker
- Laser pointer, digital camera and automatic plate alignment with laser edge detection
- Slagger self-cleaning zoned exhaust table
- Drilling slat upgrades: serrated drill-style slats or brass pin supports
- Light curtains, pull-cord safety devices and an operator glare curtain
- Machine Insight production data and OmniFab job management
- Dust collection, exhaust ducting and material handling systems
- Connection plates, gussets and base plates with drilled bolt holes for structural steel
- Bridge components and other critical parts that need holes with little or no heat-affected zone
- Tapped holes for bolted connections
- Countersunk and counterbored holes for flush fasteners, including plow bolts
- Bevelled weld preparation with the Bevel-S plasma unit
- Thick plate cutting with oxyfuel, up to 8"
FAQ
Element 500 Questions
Answers to common questions about the Element 500.
No. The GD40 is the drill head on the Element 500. It mounts on the machine's beam next to the plasma and oxyfuel tools. If you were looking for the GD40, the Element 500 is the machine it runs on.
The GD40 head drills holes up to 1-9/16" (40 mm) in diameter and also taps, counterbores and countersinks. Tool changes are automatic, and an optional 12-tool storage unit keeps several hole sizes ready for one program.
Yes. It takes up to six torch stations (a maximum of two plasma), including straight plasma, Bevel-S plasma bevelling, ALFA oxyfuel and part markers, and cuts material from 26 ga. up to 8" plate.
Cutting widths run from 6' to 16', and lengths go up to 150'. AC Machinery can help you size the machine to your plate and your floor.
AC Machinery supplies, installs and supports the Element 500 across Ontario and Eastern Canada, from quoting and installation through operator training and service.
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