What is CNC Turning?
CNC turning is a particular form of precision machining in which a cutter removes material by making contact with the spinning workpiece. The movement of the machinery is controlled by computer instructions, allowing for extreme precision and repeatability.
Turning is different to CNC milling, in which the cutting tool rotates and is directed from multiple angles at the workpiece, which is usually stationary. Because CNC turning involves rotating the workpiece in a chuck, it is generally used to create round or tubular shapes, achieving far more accurate rounded surfaces than would be possible with CNC milling or other processes.
The tooling that is used with a CNC lathe machine is mounted to a turret. This component is programmed to make certain movements and remove material from raw materials until the desired 3D model is formed.
Like CNC milling, CNC turning can be used for the rapid manufacture of either prototypes or end-use parts.
What Materials Do We CNC Turn
While potentially any solid, stable material can be turned, we work with hard plastic and metals such as aluminum, many kinds of mild and stainless steel, titanium, magnesium, brass, copper, and other alloys.
Note that some tool steel maybe too hard to cut on a lathe or mill or else will require special treatment and a longer production time. Soft elastomers or plastics may also be impossible to turn since they cannot be held in a fixed position or would change in shape under the pressure of the cutting tool.
Materials We Turn:
- Aluminum
- Brass
- Copper
- Stainless Steel
- Steel Alloy
- Plastics
- Many More
Material Sizes for CNC Turning
- Our Lathes can run bar stock from 1/8" to 3" Diameter
- Our Lathes chuck slugs up to 6"
- Our Mills can process parts up to 3"x3"x3"
Machine Equipment List
- Okuma Genos L250-E Lathes
- Okuma Genos M460-VE 3-axis mills
- Brother Speedio M200 5-axis mills
- 5C Collett Fixturing
- 5th Axis Fixturing
- Brother Speedio M500 4-axis mills
- Fanuc Robodrill D14MIA5 4-axis mills
- Sodic VL400Q wire EDM
- Programable Cutoff Saws
- Broach Cutters
Materials We Turn:
- Aluminum
- Brass
- Copper
- Stainless Steel
- Steel Alloy
- Plastics
- Many More
Material Sizes for CNC Turning
- Our Lathes can run bar stock from 1/8" to 3" Diameter
- Our Lathes chuck slugs up to 6"
- Our Mills can process parts up to 3"x3"x3"
