Turning is a machining process in which a cutting tool, usually a non-rotary tool bit, moves more or less linearly while the workpiece rotates, describing a helix toolpath.
Typically, the term “turning” refers to the cutting action used to create external surfaces, whereas “boring” refers to the same cutting action used to create internal surfaces. As a result, the term “turning and boring” is used to describe a larger group of processes known as lathing. “Facing” is the process of cutting faces on a workpiece with a turning or boring tool, and it can be classified as a subset of either category.
Turning can be done manually, on a traditional type of lathe, which frequently requires continuous supervision by the operator, or automatically, on an automated lathe that does not. Computer numerical control, or CNC, is the most common type of such automation today.
To produce precise diameters and depths, the workpiece is rotated and a cutting tool is traversed along 1, 2, or 3 axes of motion. To produce tubular components with various geometries, turning can be done on the outside of the cylinder or on the inside. Early lathes could even be used to produce complex geometric figures, including platonic solids, though using non-computerized toolpath control for this purpose has become uncommon since the advent of CNC.
Straight turning, taper turning, profiling, and external grooving are examples of turning processes that are often carried out on a lathe, which is considered to be the oldest of machine tools. These types of turning processes can produce materials in a variety of shapes, including straight, conical, curved, or grooved workpieces. In general, turning is done with single-point cutting tools. Each type of workpiece material has its own set of tool angles that have been refined over time.
Chips and swarf are two terms for waste metal from turning operations. They may be referred to as turnings in some areas. The tool’s axes of movement may be a literal straight line or a set of curves or angles, but they are all essentially linear. A “Turned Part” or “Machined Component” is a component that is subject to turning operations. Turning operations are performed on a lathe machine, which can be operated manually or by CNC.
Watch Machining Mandrel Cone – CNC Turning – What is the Process of Turning in the video below.
Thank you for visiting our website! We hope you found something that sparked interest on our website.
