Modern multi-axis CNC turning centers combine the high precision and fine surface finishes of conventional lathes with the versatility of milling machines. Because live tooling moves independently of the spindle, turning centers produce many complex geometries in a single setup, saving valuable time and money while preserving tight tolerances.
A traditional lathe rotates a workpiece horizontally while it’s held firmly on at least one end. Cutting and shaping tools are applied to the workpiece as it spins, meaning this basic process is ideal for making round and cylindrical parts.
With a manual lathe, the operation of the cutting tool is controlled by mechanical inputs from a skilled technician. While still in use today for some specialized work, manual lathes are much too slow and imprecise for modern high-speed parts manufacturing. They also pose considerable danger to the operator if they stand too close to the moving spindle.
In a CNC lathe, digital software regulates the rotation of the workpiece and the toolpath of the cutting tool. This greatly increases speed, accuracy, and repeatability, while keeping the technican safely out of harm’s way.
Although they’re fast and reliable for production manufacturing, conventional CNC lathes are still limited in the number of operations they can perform. Some features require the part be dismounted and located on a different machine.
Unlike a conventional lathe, a multi-axis CNC turning center has a separate spindle with its own set of live tools. This spindle moves independently of the central axis, creating new machining possibilities. Each additional axis of motion translates to greater versatility and more efficiency.
This is possible because the workpiece is kept stationary while the live tooling performs milling operations. Milling makes flat, prismatic shapes, contours, slots, and other features that are impossible to produce on a standard lathe.
Product developers turn to precision CNC turning services because of the many benefits they provide. These include: