What is Metal Turning?

Metal turning is a subtractive process that uses specialized turning tools to remove excess material during machining. It is a metalworking technique focused on the manufacture of cylindrical parts and components. It can be used to machine a wide variety of materials (such as metal alloys, wood, and plastic) and has different characteristics than milling.

While most people use lathes as tools to produce missing parts for larger equipment (often fabricated individually due to a parts shortage), this machine is one of the most commonly used machining devices for producing round objects made of metal alloys, wood, or plastic.

The metal turning process can produce a wide variety of parts and components:

From integral large equipment (through a combination of internal and external turning) to bearings and small round components.

CNC metal turning service focuses on using specialized turning tools (inserts, drills, bits) to remove excess material from a rotating metal block fixed to the lathe spindle (head) (hence the term "shaving").

This type of equipment can perform three main types of machining:

External turning—material is removed from the outer surface of the workpiece;

Internal turning—same as above, but the workpiece surface is located inside the block of material;

Face turning—material is removed from the side of the material being turned, away from the lathe spindle.

Currently, most equipment used for turning is referred to as "automatic lathes," based on their machining characteristics. These devices are able to smoothly adjust the speed and power output of the attached block of material, resulting in greater turning efficiency and precision.

With the development of modern computer numerical control (CNC) technology, modern lathes offer greater control precision, faster turning speeds, and tighter tolerances. Thanks to this technology, metal turning has become faster and easier today, especially for large-scale production.

Lathe Metal Turning—What is this process? What types of parts can be produced?

In general, the metal turning processes used on automated and CNC lathes are nearly identical. The turning process generally proceeds as follows (applicable to conventional, manual, and CNC turning):

The turned part (after machining; sometimes called a "rotating body") is mounted on the lathe spindle and optimally balanced (or, with minimal rotational runout).

After the turning block is securely assembled and initially inspected, the spindle rotates at the speed required for initial turning to remove any excess material. This process results in the part approaching its ideal shape. At each stage of turning, the operator uses different tooling heads, sometimes specialized drills (commonly used in CNC metal turning) and taps (sometimes used to thread the part).

The next step is precision turning, which focuses on giving the part its final shape and improving the turned surface. Grinding and/or polishing may be performed if necessary.

Once the small turned part is complete, it can be removed from the lathe spindle or cut using other tools.

The ultimate result of turning a metal part is a part with the desired dimensions for further processing (such as heat treatment). It's worth noting the difference between milling and turning processes:

Lathes primarily produce tubular parts, while the stock machining process focuses on round shapes.

Milling machines can produce a variety of surfaces and shapes, including round shapes, but these machines are more efficient when machining and producing more complex parts.

If you need to produce round parts made of alloys such as aluminum, brass, or stainless steel, contact Nuote Metals for a free quote.