CNC Turning: The Method Of Machining

In most of the devices we use on a daily basis, from cell phones, computers to cars there is a big number of small precisely made components. The technology behind the manufacturing of most of the industrial parts is CNC machining. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, a computer-aided technique with which the manufacturing process is completely automated. What this means is, from designing the precision parts to completing the manufacturing process, special computer software and computer-controlled machines are used. The main advantages of CNC in general include: high production cycles, low manufacturing costs and uniform production.

Besides milling, drilling and grinding, CNC turning is one of the principal automated machining methods. These techniques are performed with the purpose of processing materials such as stainless steel, glass, ceramic, wood and various types of metal. CNC turning is commonly performed in cases when an operation at the industrial manufacturing plant requires a faster production of a great number of parts that share the same design, size and shape specifications. If you run a business and you are often faced with this type of operation during your work, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to buy CNC machines. You can use CNC turning services from an experienced company which provides this type of services.

During a typical CNC turning operation on the manufacturing plant, the cutting tool shapes the part into the previously determined shape by removing material from the surface of the initial shape of the part which during the operation is being spin by a special tool called lathe. More specifically, the lathe is the part of the machining system that secures and spins the part that is being machined, and with that enables the simple single-point cutting tool to shape the material, creating the desired design specifications of the industrial component. This is done by using a dual axis of movement which can be a straight or a curved line. The result of the turning is one or more of complex shapes such as: threaded, filleted, plain, tapered, contoured and radius profiles.

CNC turning is a process that can be performed with minimal human supervision; the machines can operate literally 24 hours a day, 7 days a the week. Regardless how big the number of components that need to be manufactured, with this industrial method all parts produced will be exactly the same. This contributes to achieving an uniformity of production and it significantly reduces the production time and the cost.