Defining Lathe And CNC Lathe Turning

by | Oct 21, 2014 | Business

Throughout history, a lathe has been applied for a variety of reasons. In fact, the lathe has been in existence since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs around 1300BC. The Greeks and Assyrians employed it. Under the practical and every commercial hands of the Romans, it was developed and employed successfully in a number of daily small and large projects. While CNC lathe turning was far in the future, the Romans understood the advantages of having such a tool at their disposal. Yet, what exactly is a lathe?

Defining Lathe

Arguably, one of the globe’s earliest tools, the lathe is often said to be a simple tool for cutting. Initially it was used by two men to a machine for the shaping of various substances. These include both wood and metal. It accomplishes this by employing a rotating drive. The drive turns the work piece as it is run against various cutting tools.

What is Turning?

Turning is best defined as a process in machining involving the employment of a cutting tool and a specific material requiring cutting and shaping. During the process the piece required to produce the shape or part rotates (turns). The process of movement tends to be linear.

What Does it Involve?

In the past, lathe turning involved two people: one to turn the work piece, the other to shape it. A single operator can still manually turn, but automation has reduced the necessity for this in modern production.

Turning can be done manually. It may also be done with the help of a machine. The former will require the use of an operator and ongoing supervision to ensure the right shape emerges. This can be both time consuming and expensive. Automatic or cam operated lathes require less supervision. Yet, the most popular and least supervised form is the CNC lathe turning machine.

CNC Lathe Turning – Popular and Practical

CNC lathe turning requires little ongoing involvement. They are entirely automatic. All the machinery requires is for an operator to feed in the right instructions in order for the lathe to perform according to demands. This is one of the many reasons why companies are turning to this tool. CNC can be employed in anything. CNC lathe turning is one means through which a Swiss Screw Machine can be employed to reduce production time and money without affecting the quality of the end product.

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