Often OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) work with several different companies to produce parts or entire subsystems. These other companies often provide very specialized services that the OEM doesn’t have the equipment, workforce or expertise to produce.
Machining services are one such specialization. OEM companies contract with specialized machining companies to complete everything from milling to soldering and brazing as well as CNC turning services.
What is CNC Turning?
To understand why a component may require CNC turning, it is essential to understand the process. The CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. This allows the machine to be controlled by a computer program, repeating the exact pattern or shape from the original program with every component or part produced.
This eliminates even slight variations that are found if a template or a jig is used. It also eliminates the variations that occur with manual turning or lathing that is operator controlled.
Different CNC turning services will use different types of equipment, some more advanced than others. In most precision machining shops a twin spindle lathe will be used to allow for the limited need to move the component between equipment. It will also provide the option to complete high volume production because of the speed, reliability and efficiency of the machine.
In the turning process, a cutting tool with a single point is positioned at a parallel position to the material bar, stock or rod. This material may be plastic, composite or metal. The material is then rotated by the machine at a constant set speed and the tool moves over the axis of motion to create cuts that are precise is shape, depth and diameter.
The Benefits
It is possible to use CNC turning services to create shapes on both the inside and the outside of the material. This makes it an incredibly important process in many types of devices and parts for a range of different components. Some people call the process of using turning to create the interior cavities by the term “boring” which is also correct. By either term, both turning and boring can be completed on CNC machines to extremely tight tolerances matching the requirements for such precision requirements as required by medical devices and the military and aerospace industries.
The parts can be produced quickly using CNC turning. When the machining shop includes automatic loaders and unloaders, the process can be virtually automated, leading to high production speeds, high volumes of components produced and a lower cost of production.
