---
title: "Zayer Thera W 26000 Gantry Milling Machine"
description: "February 2020: Bock Maschinenbau adds the Zayer Thera W 26000 gantry milling machine to its machine park – 26,000 mm travel, 26.5 × 4 m clamping surface."
url: "https://bock-gmbh.com/en/knowledge/zayer-thera-w-26000-gantry-milling-machine/"
language: "en"
index: "https://bock-gmbh.com/en/llms.txt"
---

Back to all articles

# Zayer Thera W 26000 gantry milling machine: our second Zayer, added in 2020

News · 04 Feb 2020 · 5 min read · Updated on 04 Oct 2026

## Why the second Zayer followed the first

Three years earlier, with the Zayer Thera W 16000, we had brought the gantry design into our machining – and it had paid off: the machine was in demand, our customers' requirements kept rising, and component lengths grew with them.
In early 2020, the Thera W 26000 added ten metres of X travel, one metre of Y travel and 40 centimetres of Z travel compared with the W 16000. The second machine expanded the range of components that production planning could accommodate.
A gantry milling machine of this size is more than a catalogue purchase: the foundation, floor space and crane logistics have to grow with it. The investment shapes our production in Lorch to this day.
View from the table towards the portal of the Thera W 26000: 5,000 mm of travel in width, 3,250 mm in height – the dimensions that the foundation and floor space had to grow to accommodate.

## The Zayer Thera W 26000 in detail

The key data in direct comparison with its sister machine, three years older:
| Feature | Thera W 26000 (2020) | Thera W 16000 (2017) |
| X travel (length) | 26,000 mm | 16,000 mm |
| Y travel (width) | 5,000 mm | 4,000 mm |
| Z travel (height) | 3,250 mm | 2,850 mm |
| Table clamping surface | 26,500 × 4,000 mm | 16,500 × 3,000 mm |
| Milling head | 30°, positionable to 0.001° | 30°, positionable to 0.001° |
| Main drive | Heidenhain · 43 kW | Heidenhain · 43 kW |
| Control | Heidenhain iTNC 640 HSCI | Heidenhain iTNC 530 HSCI |
| Guideway | Roller way with adjustable preload | Roller way with adjustable preload |
The W 26000 offers 10,000 mm more X travel, 1,000 mm more Y travel and 400 mm more Z travel than the W 16000. This difference enlarges the working envelope; it is not a blanket commitment on component size or workpiece tolerance.
The same machine lengthwise: between the camera and the portal lie 26.5 metres of table clamping surface – ten metres more than the first Zayer offers.

## Two gantry milling machines: what they share and where their limits lie

Both Zayer machines use the same head principle and roller guideways with adjustable preload. The machines differ in dimensions and control. An NC program has to be checked for the respective machine configuration, tools and setup; identical head geometry does not mean a program can be transferred unchecked.
Two gantry mills allow orders to be allocated according to component size and available capacity. The smaller machine can take an order planned for the larger one when its travel, table area and tool access suit the component. Checking these conditions is part of confirming the delivery schedule.
Material certification and dimensional inspection answer different questions: an inspection certificate 3.1 describes the test results of the material; it is not a dimensional report of the finished machined component. The required documentation is agreed with the order.
Two milling heads in the head change station. The same head principle makes planning easier; programs and freedom from collision have to be checked for the specific machine.
Gantry milling in our hall in Lorch: the swivel milling head in cut and chip removal on a large-format component. The video shows one of our Zayer Thera W machines; it is not evidence for the specific machine in this article.
A round part on the gantry milling machine. For the setup, what counts besides the workpiece is the area taken up by clamping fixtures and tool access.

## What the expansion means for customers

With the W 26000, an X travel of up to 26 m is available. Unit weights up to 50 t and crane capacity up to 25 t are further key figures of our production. For bridge girders, machine beds and press frames, these limits are checked together with the setup; no single figure confirms feasibility on its own.
Cutting, welded fabrication, vibration stress relief and machining are all under one roof at Bock in Lorch. A welded assembly can move within the hall to the gantry mill. Production planning determines from the drawing which operations and intermediate inspections are required.
Machine frame and long bed on the gantry milling machine. The required reference surfaces and setups are defined for each drawing.
To the CNC gantry milling service page

## The investment in context today

This article was first published in February 2020 on our previous website. For the relaunch, we revised the text and checked the specifications against current machinery data.
Six years later, both Zayer machines are the backbone of our CNC large-part machining: together with the travelling-column milling centre, the boring mills and the vertical lathe, they cover machining from the compact housing to the 26-metre girder.
Together, the 2017 and 2020 articles show how the machining capacity developed in response to customer orders: first the W 16000, then a larger machine for longer and wider components.
The Zayer 30 milling head aligns the tool with the machining surface. Whether this saves an additional setup depends on tool access and the interfering contours of the component.
The machine park at a glance

## The second Zayer in pictures

Revisit the workshop images from this article. Select an image to return to its chapter.
- The machine
- 1 Why the second Zayer followed the first
- 2 The Zayer Thera W 26000 in detail
- 3 Two gantry milling machines: what they share and where their limits lie
- 4 What the expansion means for customers
- 5 The investment in context today

## Frequently asked questions about gantry milling on the Zayer Thera W

### What is the maximum component size that can be machined on the Zayer gantry milling machines?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/knowledge/zayer-thera-w-26000-gantry-milling-machine/#faq-maximale-bauteilgroesse-zayer

The Zayer Thera W 26000 offers 26,000 mm of X travel, 5,000 mm of Y travel and 3,250 mm of Z travel; its table clamping surface measures 26,500 × 4,000 mm. These machine dimensions are not a blanket maximum component size. Clamping fixtures, tool access, unit weight and crane logistics are checked together on the basis of your drawing.

### Does Bock offer gantry milling as contract manufacturing?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/knowledge/zayer-thera-w-26000-gantry-milling-machine/#faq-uebernimmt-portalfraesen-lohnfertigung

Yes – gantry milling is one of our core services in contract manufacturing: from the single large part to the ready-to-install assembly, on request including cutting, welded fabrication and painting from a single source.

### What do two gantry milling machines mean for my delivery date?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/knowledge/zayer-thera-w-26000-gantry-milling-machine/#faq-bedeuten-zwei-portalfraesmaschinen

Two gantry milling machines make it possible to allocate suitable orders by size and capacity utilisation. The W 16000 has shorter travels and a smaller table area; programs and setup have to suit the respective machine. Whether and when an order can run on the other machine is checked by production planning before a delivery date is confirmed.

### Which materials are machined on the gantry milling machines?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/knowledge/zayer-thera-w-26000-gantry-milling-machine/#faq-werkstoffe-portalfraesmaschinen

We machine structural steel, fine-grain structural steel, wear-resistant steel and stainless steel. The material and the required certification are agreed with the order; an inspection certificate 3.1 documents material test results and does not replace dimensional inspection of the finished component.

### Is an enquiry worthwhile for single parts or small batches too?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/knowledge/zayer-thera-w-26000-gantry-milling-machine/#faq-lohnt-anfrage-einzelteile-kleine

Yes – we manufacture anything from a single large part to a small batch, with no minimum quantities. What matters is not the quantity but whether geometry, material and deadline fit together; that is exactly what production planning checks on the basis of your drawing.
Request a quote

## Standard for material certification

- Inspection certificate 3.1 for the material; not a dimensional report of the machined component DIN EN 10204 – Metallic products: Types of inspection documents DIN / CEN · 2005-01 (EN 10204:2004)

## Read on

### Our first Zayer: the Thera W 16000 gantry milling machine

29 Mar 2017
In 2017, the W 16000 brought 16 metres of X-axis travel and a 30° milling head to Bock. How the investment expanded our large-part machining capabilities.

### The world’s largest word clock: a 27 m² Corten steel front panel

01 Apr 2014
A clock face measuring 5.20 × 5.20 metres becomes a steel fabrication challenge. The story of the Corten steel front panel we made for QLOCKTWO GAMUNDIA.

### What is a boring mill?

01 Oct 2026
Why machine several sides in one setup? Explore how a boring mill works, the differences between its main types and the features that guide machine selection.
All articles at a glance

## Need large parts up to 26 metres milled?

Send us the drawing, material and deadline: our production planning checks setup and feasibility and gets back to you with a specific quote.

### Alexander Schulz

For new enquiries, quotations and technical questions on the feasibility of your project.

### Jochen Hack