hy jbo, i have no experience with makino, but only with okuma ... i will share a few things about okumas :
1) there is windows on the controller, and this allows installing many applications, so to speed up a few things :
1.1) fast file transfer & edit, file back-ups, syncronizing, etc ( just use a wifi-usb, or an internet cable, and configure the conection like you would do with any other pc )
1.2) msOffice applications can be installed, and this allows:
1.2.1) running xls macros from xls files that are installed inside the machine ( so you dont need to go to another computer, re-create the code, and then come back with it at the machine )
1.2.2.) running xls setup sheets, that may include all infos about a setup, like a drawing, fixtures, tools, axis zeros, everything required to run the program
1.2.3) xls codes, interfaced with okuma's api, so to really go next-level with custom programing ( like custom probing macros, that can not be replicated easy on other cncs, and may require expensive software for alternative programing; thus, you may boost the way your probe behaves )
1.3) pdf viewer ( so you can transfer drawings directly to the machine, and the operator may create the program from it, without needing to print the paper )
1.4) manuals are located inside the machine hdd, and can be accesed from windows explorer, or from a specific osp application, making it prety fast to search for help, for a special function, or for the serial number for a spare part ( on most machines, basic manuals and instructions are hard to find, or even get lost after a while, and many spare parts do not fit well .... okuma will install on any machine only machine-compatible versions, and will create technical drawings that include all parts that are installed inside the machine )
1.5) you may use the windows calculator, so to calculate pretty fast a few things ( thus you don't need to use your smart-phone, or a real calculator )
1.6) the controller comes with many applications installed, designed to help you with a few things, like cutting-specs calculator, possibility to send emails if something fails, etc, and there is also a web site with custom applications : Welcome to the Okuma App Store
1.7) there are usb conections, so you can plug a mouse, a stick, an externhal hdd ... some persons use also a 2nd monitor, or a web-cam inside the machine, or a tablet that runs teamviewer, etc
i have all my data syncronized, so, if i am at home, i may create a program, connect with a machine, and remotely, with the help of an operator, start / debug a setup ... if something happens during a 2nd shift, or a 3rd shift late night, i don't have to be there, because i may fix it from home; i have started setups on a machine located on another continent ... this is the power of remote and you may watch youtube videos on the machine
2) there is a qwerty keyboard, that had been improved since osp300 appeared, thus it has a quality feedback, making it very robust, and responsive : this speeds up the creation of code, and the navigation across interfaces
3) rarely, thus really very very rarely, you will see lags : in other words, it operates smooth, and is responsive on key-down instantaneously in most cases; to keep it that way, is required to avoid installing many other applications on the controller, thus keeping the extra-load on a minimum
4) when it comes to special functions, i believe that both machines have a few common things ... if i would have to decide, i would ask for manuals for both machines, before purchasing, and looking over the special functions before taking a decision; on okuma's you have acces to:
4.1) ipw parameters and acceleration parameters, that may allow you to configure the rapids and feeds cinematic diagram, so to smooth out the movement, or to speed it to max, but also having a little bumpy behaviour; thus, an okuma machine can be configured to behave smooth(for precision finishing) or bumpy(for roughing); thus continuous G's adjusmtent for acc/decc, and also diagram shape
4.2) cycle time reduction techniques, adaptive feeding, 3d toolpath smoothing ( super nurbs, high accu ), deceleration & acceleration management at toolpath joints ( hi cut pro, good for hsc )
4.3) auto tunning functions ( navy functions )
5) on okuma is installed a conversational software ( igf : will deliver for most simple parts ), and another simplified conversational ( i-map : will deliver for most simple operations )
you can't have best for both, but a compromise; for example, on some okuma machines, is possible to choose between several types of roughing spindles ( thus low rpm, high torque ) and several types of finishing spindles ( high rpms, lower torque )We are looking for speed and rigidity
both manuals, for both machines, should have the spindle diagram displayed, so is possible to compare them
for an okuma mb, i have chosen a wide range type, bt50, that has higher rpms and higer torque compared to standard, but i never use it in the high rpms, thus i don't use tiny tools inside it once above a certain rpm, is started a counter for high-rpms-on, and this shows how long a machine have been used at high speed ...
i just checked the diagrams for both spindles : they are comparable ( okuma is 1st, makino is 2nd ):
... roughing : 720-2500vs1200-3500
... finishing : 4000-15000vs5000-9000
*okuma provides less torque from lower rpms, but more torque range at higher rpms
*when going in overload, 2nd coil, makino can keep it longer & harder
i don't have latest manual version, so i can't be exact
if you are in doubts, run an identical test cut on both machines ( same material, same fixture, same tool, same spec, target the spindle "sweet" rpm zone ), listen to the sound, and use a vibration recorder on table & spindle
diamond edge end mill + through spindle air, or nozzle airinitially for an Aluminium
check if the 4th axis can be used syncronized with xyz, or only for positioningBoth would be fitted with a 4th axis.
for okuma, nikken crafts rotary tables with okuma motors, but there may be also other vendors
kitagawa recently revealed a 4th axis with nc, that can be moved easily from one cnc to another one ( thus can be "passed" between cnc's with different controllers )
kindly
ps : take into consideration after sale suport, waranty, training costs, call center, service reaction time, thus the "power" of your local dealer install shower coolant, so to keep the cabinet clean; look into programable spider-coolant-nozzles, r232 conection; if needed, buy some cast iron plates and craft your own quick-change system; use toolholders with damping technology, so to really push the roughing operations, without sending vibrations inside your machine; modify a few vices, so to make them work togheter with a hidraulic pump, controlled by m codes; life is short : don't bother to align a vice, or a rotary table : just clamp it strongly, then use a custom probing macro to detect rotation, and rotate your program; do you need a custom okuma code, or application ? maybe i can help you; if you wish, i may sugest a configuration for your okuma high-feed tools with ae<tool_diameter, thus when entering/exiting the cut, generate huge lateral force, so lower the feeds and look into this, or always begin the cut with a helix plunge, because, if not done properly, it may ruin your spindle ( i believe that only makino can detect & monitor this force ); if you wish to achieve a bit of versatility, check this out : https://www.cnczone.com/forums/milli...ml#post2358198
there is a good okuma forum, where you may find several start-up tricks ( wcs system variables, parameters, fast tool registration, tool change macros, and many others ), so to be up to speed in no-time : https://www.cnczone.com/forums/okuma/
if you have questions, or you are in doubt about a makino characteristic, i may be able to explain & show you how okuma is handling it, and you may decide which one pleases you the most don't judge fundamentally on a price difference <20-30%, because it may affect you in the long-run