What is a CNC lathe?

What is a CNC lathe?

CNC lathe suppliers will share this article with you.

The lathe is one of the most versatile processing tools in the manufacturing industry.

History

The lathe is one of the oldest machine tools in Egypt, dating back to 1300 BC. This is a woodworking lathe operated by a human being used to shape symmetrical wooden objects. The end of the 20th century and the 21st century were defined by advances in computer technology, and the industrial sector is no exception. The CNC lathe was invented in the 1950s. This technique allows the mechanic to pre-program the specifications to get the first hand off the lathe. CNC machines have become very useful, and in your general store, there are more of them than manual machines.

What is a lathe?

A lathe is a machine tool used to remove metal from a workpiece to obtain the desired shape and size. Lathes are commonly used to mold material into a desired shape by removing excess material from a given workpiece. Lathes are commonly used for metal processing and metal spinning. Lathe is one of the most important material removal methods in manufacturing technology.

CNC lathe

Computerized numerically controlled, or CNC machine tools, or CNC lathes are the most commonly used because they are fast, accurate and the most advanced type of lathe. On the CNC lathe, the processed material is slowly cut off to form a beautiful finished product or a complicated part. They may also have quite a few other functions, and there are many variants of lathes.

Some people think that a lathe is the only universal CNC machine tool, because one lathe can manufacture all the parts needed by another lathe. The lathe rotates the workpiece in the spindle while a fixed tool approaches the workpiece to cut off its chips. Because of this geometry, lathes are ideal for parts that have some axis symmetry and can be clamped to the spindle.

The action of cutting a workpiece on a lathe is called "Turning".

Due to technological advancements, CNC lathes are rapidly replacing some old and more traditional production lathes, such as multi-spindles. CNC lathes have many advantages. They can be easily set up and operated. They provide great repeatability and top precision in production.

How does it work?

A typical lathe is composed of a bed, a headstock, a tailstock, a chuck, a tool post, a bracket, and a feed spindle. The lathe rotates the workpiece in the spindle while a fixed tool approaches the workpiece to cut off its chips. Because of this geometry, lathes are ideal for parts that have some axis symmetry and can be clamped to the spindle.

Basic functions of lathe

Facing

Facing refers to the removal of metal from a cylindrical work piece, which usually results in a smooth surface.

Turning

Turning refers to the application of turning tools to the work piece to produce grooves, ridges and indents.

Boring

Boring is when you enlarge the existing hole. The hole can be drilled, molded, cast or forged hole.