CNC turning parts: online customization, high precision

In recent years, CNC technology has developed rapidly. As one of the important processes, turning has been widely adopted by manufacturers for its ability to produce high-precision metal parts. CNC turning parts often have high consistency and have significant advantages in mass production.

Xavier has been focusing on the field of CNC machining for many years and is able to handle a variety of complex parts. The processed metal parts are of high precision and are sold all over the world.

The following article will give a detailed introduction to this, and you will learn how precision metal parts are produced one by one.

⏩ What is CNC turning?

CNC turning is a metal subtractive process. The workpiece to be processed is placed on the CNC lathe, and then the workpiece is rotated. Then the cutting tool will complete the material removal according to the rotation path of the workpiece, and finally obtain the metal part of the desired shape.

Of course, in this process, related parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate, and cutting depth will also be involved. They will determine whether the CNC lathe can efficiently and accurately cut the rotating workpiece.

So seeing this, do you want to ask what shapes of parts can be processed by CNC turning?

Turning can complete the processing of a variety of complex geometric shapes, such as the cutting of the outer circle, inner hole, end face, thread and other shapes of parts. Often a precision part will contain more than one part. In addition to turning, it may also involve milling, which is another processing technology of CNC technology. If you want to know more about milling, we also have this article to provide you with reference.

⏩ How are CNC turning parts produced?

CNC turning is like an "intelligent robot". It follows the preset tool path to complete the material removal. Of course, this will involve certain programming knowledge. Xavier has rich experience in this regard. The following will introduce the processing flow of CNC turning parts in five steps:

① Programming - According to the drawings provided by the customer, our engineers will use programming software such as CAD/CAM to write program instructions, which is equivalent to telling the machine tool how to cut; if you do not have drawings, then Xavier will also assist you in drawing drawings according to your processing needs.

② Preparation - Fix the workpiece on the machine tool. The workpiece here can be a bar or a block of metal raw materials. The shape of the raw materials is selected according to the final shape of the parts. Our original intention is to help you save the cost of raw materials. In addition, different cutting tools need to be selected according to different metal materials. For example, special tools are required for difficult processing such as stainless steel and titanium alloy.

③ Debugging - The engineer will enter the program and then start trial cutting to adjust the speed, feed, cutting depth and other parameters to see if these parameters are appropriate. If the parts have surface quality problems, they need to adjust the parameters in time.

④ Processing - At this time, when all parameters are set, the machine tool will automatically cut according to the set program, first rough cut to remove waste, then semi-static processing, and finally fine-tune to precise size;

⑤ Inspection - Use inspection instruments to measure whether the parts meet the standards. Only after passing the test can they be considered completed. The entire production process of CNC turning parts is efficient and accurate, and the turning process is also widely used in the manufacture of various precision parts.

⏩ Which parts are suitable for CNC turning?

CNC turning is most suitable for machining parts with rotationally symmetrical structures. This is because turning is done by rotating the workpiece to complete the cutting. Its operation mode determines that it is suitable for producing cylindrical or elliptical parts, and also includes parts with stacked structures.

Some parts are listed below:

Shaft parts (motor shafts, rollers, transmission shafts, etc.)

Cylindrical parts, tapered parts

Internal and external threaded parts

Pipe fittings, sleeve parts

In addition, CNC turning is particularly suitable for small and medium batches and multi-variety customization. We can choose a variety of processing solutions according to the complexity of your drawings. For more complex parts, we can also use a milling and turning compound machining center for processing.

⏩ What is the machining accuracy of CNC turning parts?

I believe you will be very interested in the machining accuracy of CNC turning parts.

The conventional accuracy is between ±0.05mm and ±0.5mm. For high-precision equipment and tools, the accuracy can be increased to ±0.01mm.

Here I provide a tolerance range of Xavier CNC turning parts for your reference. We follow ISO 2768 for CNC machining.

If you are a practitioner in the following industries, then you must have a strong demand for precision machined parts:

Aerospace (such as engine shafts)

Medical devices (such as surgical parts)

Automotive industry (such as engine parts, gearbox parts)

⏩ What materials can be processed by CNC turning?

CNC turning can process a wide range of materials, including but not limited to the following materials, mainly including a variety of metals and engineering plastics.

For example, non-ferrous metals such as aluminum alloys, brass, and copper have low processing difficulty and high efficiency; steel materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and alloy steel have a certain processing strength and are moderate; while high-performance materials such as titanium alloys and nickel-based alloys are difficult to process and have high requirements for tools and cutting parameters;

In addition, some engineering plastics such as PEEK, POM, PTFE, etc. can also be precisely formed by CNC turning, but when processing them, you need to pay attention to temperature control and speed control, which is a very technical test.

⏩ How long is the processing cycle of CNC turning parts? Is it suitable for urgent proofing?

CNC turning is suitable for quick response, and now it can be ordered through the online platform. Xavier will have someone to serve you.

The processing cycle for general parts is one week, and complex structures may be extended to more than 10 days. Of course, the corresponding cost of more urgent parts will also increase, and we still hope that you can leave enough processing time.

⏩ Is there a minimum order quantity? Can small batches be accepted?

Xavier's modern CNC processing plant already has a flexible production scheduling system that supports a minimum order of 1 piece, especially suitable for:

R&D proofing

Small batch trial production

Customized single-piece spare parts replacement

Of course, as the batch increases, the unit price will drop significantly. We provide a one-stop service from "proofing → trial production → mass production".

⏩ What surface treatments can be done on CNC turning parts?

After machining, CNC turning parts are usually subjected to appropriate surface treatment to meet the needs of beauty, corrosion resistance, functionality, etc. Common treatment methods include:

Anodizing (mainly used for aluminum parts, beautiful, anti-oxidation)

Electroplated (nickel, chromium) (enhanced wear resistance, conductivity)

Sandblasting/brushing (improved surface texture)

Heat treatment (such as quenching, aging, improving hardness and strength)

Passivation (mainly used for corrosion protection of stainless steel parts)

If you need it, you can refer to this page to learn about the surface treatment process of parts, so that your parts are both beautiful and can meet application requirements.

Summary:

This article answers in detail the 8 core questions that the public is most concerned about CNC machining parts. After reading these, you can make the best decision for your project. However, if you need more professional advice on part manufacturing, please contact us!