CNC turning is an integral part of industries across the globe, custom machine shops offering valuable resources to businesses as well as individuals. Within a CNC shop such as the one you find when you click here, you will find a large variety of computer controlled machines that are used to fabricate intricate parts to high specifications. These can be replacement parts or custom designs, and they can be manufactured for virtually any industry you can think of.
CNC is what allows for tools within the workshop to be automatic as opposed to hand-controlled. CNC operated machinery is free from human error, and allows for a CNC shop to make hundreds of identical parts every hour. There is a wide variety of tools that can be controlled by computers and these include lathes, CNC turning machines, CNC mills, and screw machines. The high degree of accuracy of these machines allows for complex patterns to be produced that would be virtually impossible to make by hand. One question that often arises however is what the difference between CNC milling and CNC turning: Let’s take a look.
Firstly we will look at CNC milling, which consists of a milling machine that uses commands that are known as G-Codes. Each code has a designated function, the mill drill and turning along the axes to create the desired piece. The piece will be cut to match the dimensions entered into the computer interface and there is no room for error as the human hand is not used to make the cuts or turns. CNC milling machines can be controlled by computer, or via manual override. Manual override allows for processes to be sped up, slowed down, or tweaked where necessary.
The number of examples of parts produced by CNC mills is really endless, and parts can be made from various materials such as an aluminium part that is produced to replace a weak plastic part. CNC turning is similar to CNC milling, and once again the amount of different parts that can be produced is countless. So, what is CNC turning, and how does it differ from CNC milling?
CNC turning differs from milling, as it relies always on computer technology. A CNC turning machine will use a one-point cutter tool, and the toll will be inserted into the material to be worked on, parallel to the piece. Turning can take place at various speeds, and can be used on various types of materials. The speed of the turning will depend in the material used as well as the accuracy required. The CNC turning machine will traverse 2 axes, and will produce cylindrical cuts to exact diameters and depth. CNC turning can be used externally to create tubular shapes, or internally to bore holes and cavities in the chosen material. CNC is an automated process and it is generally used on larger materials. More accurate cutting and turning on microscopic sized piece is generally carried out by a laser or plasma cutter, both of which are found in modern CNC shops around the globe.
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