If a manufacturing company wishes to update their production processes, an investment in CNC lathes is one of the best ways to do this.
What is a CNC lathe?
CNC lathes are highly advanced and modern versions of lathes first used in 1300 BC. Lathes are versatile machines with fast spinning spindles used to manufacture parts out of metal and other materials. A production turning machine, lathes can create intricate pieces with great accuracy.
CNC lathes make this process even more accurate with their use of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology, which has been integrated into a range of machinery and production.
How does it work?
CNC lathes are controlled by a pre-programmed computer sequence, designed for a specific process. Once the tool path is set, the machine can continue to produce parts with minimal supervision. The instructions for the path can also be manually designed or coded.
A visual simulation of how the machine is working during production can be viewed on a computer interface. As it follows a programmed path, the machine operator does not need to know a great deal about the machine they are overseeing so their role is more flexible.
What can a CNC lathe be used for?
A CNC lathe can be used to make parts for a huge range of industries including the automotive industry, aeronautics, electronics and firearm manufacturing.
From complex 3D products to plane surfaces to sports equipment, CNC lathes are able to make something with a lot of detail. Although originally CNC lathes were used for metalwork, with the arrival of plastic and other new materials, they are used with a broad range of substances.
What are the advantages of using a CNC lathe?
If a company needs a circular motion cutting machine then a CNC lathe is the best choice, whatever material is being worked. They are easy to set up and simple to operate – an employee just needs to have programming knowledge and then it’s ready to go. For future use, fewer personnel are needed, so there are huge financial benefits to a company, with no impediment to production caused by staffing issues.
Additionally, the speed of a CNC lathe far outstrips that of a conventional lathe and the precision cannot be matched. Digital templates and automated fabrication eliminate the possibility of human error and allow a company to be confident in the quality of their output.
The versatility and capability of CNC lathes mean that they create products that conventional machines simply cannot achieve. Advanced software can design programmes to create any size, shape or texture that is needed. These parts are uniform, matching exactly the programme’s specifications.
The CNC lathes themselves are durable and high quality, particularly when bought from a trusted manufacturer of CNC machines like Strojimport, meaning the investment made when purchasing them quickly pays off.
The safety aspect is an important one to consider as well; operators work at a distance from the sharp tools and high-speed machinery when using a CNC lathe, lowering the risk of injury.
For a state-of-the-art company, there should be state-of-the-art machines – CNC lathes provide that.