CNC turning operation and CNC milling are two main processing methods of CNC lathe  machining. This paper focuses on the characteristics of CNC turning service.

What Is CNC Turning Machining?

Turning is a method of cutting the workpiece on a lathe by rotating the workpiece relative to  the tool. Turning is the most basic and common cutting method. Most of the workpiece with rotary surface can be processed by turning method, such as internal and external cylindrical surface, internal and external conical surface, end face, groove, thread and rotary forming surface. Common turning-lathes can be divided into horizontal lathes, floor lathes, vertical lathes, turret lathes and copying lathes, most of which are horizontal lathes.

Due to the development of modern science and technology, various engineering materials with high strength and hardness are more and more used. Traditional turning technology is not competent or can not realize the processing of some high strength and high hardness materials, but modern hard turning technology makes it possible, and obtain obvious benefits in production.

Characteristic Of CNC Turning Machining

✔️High turning efficiency

Turning is more efficient than grinding. Turning often uses large cutting depth, high workpiece speed, its metal cutting rate is usually several times that of grinding. In turning processing, a  clamping can complete a variety of surface processing, while grinding requires multiple installation, so its auxiliary time is short and the position accuracy between machining surfaces is high.

✔️Low equipment input cost

When the productivity is the same, turning-lathe investment is obviously better than grinding machine, its auxiliary system costs are also low. For small batch production, turning does not need special equipment, and for large batch of high-precision parts need CNC machine tools that have good rigidity, high accurate positioning and repeatable accurate positioning .

✔️Suitable for small batch flexible production

The turning- lathe itself is a flexible processing method with a wide range of processing. The lathe is easy to operate and fast in turning and clamping. Compared with grinding, hard turning can better adapt to flexible production requirements.

✔️Hard turning can achieve good overall machining accuracy

Most of the heat produced in hard turning is taken away by the cutting oil, which will not  produce burns and cracks on the surface like grinding processing. It has excellent processing surface quality, precise processing roundness, and can ensure high position accuracy between the processing surfaces.

Choice Of CNC Turning Parts

✔️Coated carbide cutting tools

Coated carbide cutting tool is a good toughness carbide cutting tool coated with a layer or  multiple layers of good wear resistance coating. Coatings usually serve two purposes. On the one hand, it has much lower thermal conductivity than tool matrix and workpiece material, which weakens the thermal action of tool matrix. On the other hand, it can effectively improve the friction and adhesion in the cutting process and reduce the generation of cutting heat. Compared with cemented carbide cutting tools, coated carbide cutting tools have been greatly improved in strength, hardness and wear resistance.

✔️Ceramic cutting tool

Ceramic cutting tools are characterized by high hardness, high strength, good wear resistance, good chemical stability, good adhesion resistance, low friction coefficient and low price.  When used normally, the durability is very high, and the speed can be several times higher than that of hard alloy, especially suitable for high hardness material processing, finishing and high-speed processing.

✔️Cubic boron nitride tool

The hardness and wear resistance of cubic boron nitride is second only to diamond, and it  has excellent high temperature hardness. Compared with ceramic cutting tools, their heat resistance and chemical stability are slightly worse, but the impact strength and crushing resistance are better. It is widely used in the cutting of hardened steel, pearlitic gray cast iron, chilled cast iron and high temperature alloy. Compared with the carbide tool, its cutting speed is several times that of it.

In Conclusion

CNC turning processing is efficient. It is more suitable for small batch flexible production and  the hard turning can achieve great overall processing accuracy. In addition, you need to choose the suitable tools according to the products.