CNC turning centers and lathes may seem identical, but they generally refer to slightly different machines. Lathes generally only turn while turning centers can be more advanced. These machines can be capable of facing, threading, knurling, drilling, boring, reaming, and taper turning. Horizontal CNC turning machines are more common, but vertical machines utilize gravity. CNC turning centers can benefit from predictive maintenance! MachineMetrics can analyze your CNC Machine’s efficiency to find an ideal cycle time to operate at.
The lathe is one of the oldest manufacturing technologies on Earth. The earliest versions date all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who invented a two-person, bow-driven lathe around 1300 BCE. Yet despite this venerable history, turning technology has been far from static, as evidenced by the sophisticated CNC turning centers of today. Read on for an overview of the components, types, operations and applications of CNC turning centers. Read More