Mini CNC Lathe Overview

A mini CNC lathe is generally converted from a regular lathe when a hobbyist wants to experience a machine that can do twice the work they can do manually. Usually these are small machines that have a lot of power but that can sit on a desktop or workbench in the home.

The CNC mini lathe is a good choice for people who want to experiment with what these machines will do, inventors or for people who specialize in making models. The CNC mini lathes are good for metalworking in general and for making small parts that need to be made with precision. Generally speaking the individual starts with a mini-lathe that they buy and then convert it to do CNC.

Most mini-lathes are a smaller version of those used in commercial shops but they can be a different design than those that are made strictly for working with wood. The mini-lathe is able to shape plastics, woods and other materials. A nice feature of these is that manufacturers are continuously developing new features so it has become easier to convert them to CNC over the years.

Mini lathes usually come in three sizes: 7x10, 7x12 and 7x14. Each one is measured by the length that length of the swing as it goes over the bed of the lathe. Today you can also find 9x models. The conversion of a general mini-lathe to include CNC has many benefits.

Many plans that you can find on the Internet will allow both manual and CNC abilities in the conversion because there are times when an individual is working with the machine that they may elect to do some processes by hand. At other times they may want to use CNC capabilities to produce repetitive pieces or ones that require a lot of time manually.

Converting to CNC also allows you to be able to produce both 2D and 3D contours which are unavailable when you are only working a lathe by hand. All you have to do is program the computer to create the part you need. You can use wood plastic or metal to make a mold and using the CNC portion you can produce a mold that you can use as many times as you want because it creates a perfect mold. You can do multiple holes drilling by creating the diameter of the whole and then programming it into the computer; from that point the CNC lathe does the work.

When converting to CNC it will generally take one or two weekends to finish the conversion; however plans will vary depending on what you want your CNC mini-lathe to do. You can usually buy plans that include pictures and step-by-step directions for around $50.

To convert to CNC you will need to understand either CAD or CAM software because currently these are the types of software that is used in the CNC mini-lathe machines. Usually you can control the lathe right from your PC because the software is created to run in that way. Generally it seems that you can make this conversion for under $2000.

CNC Turning Process - An Overview

CNC Turning process is a simple method of shaping a metal or wood on a lathe. It is a machine tool that spins or turns a block of material to achieve rotational symmetry in a machine shop. Turning can be done manually or using a CNC machining. The computer numerically controls CNC machine. A typical CNC machining center is designed to remove material using a rotating cutter that moves laterally to a work piece mounted onto a table or fixture.

In the CNC turning process, a piece of material is rotated on the lathe and a cutting tool is traversed along two axis of motion, transverse or longitudinal. The process is done in a machine shop. The cutting tool is used until the required depth and dimension is achieved. Turning can be on both sides, inside or outside as per the needs and specifications. The rotation occurs at the turning center that enables control of tool motion through computer programs that use numeric data. Parts that are too large to balance and cause difficulty in rotating around one center point, can be worked on a machining center featuring a U axis. The turning length is about 1000mm between centers and has a drive power and speed range up to 46kW and 4,000 revolution/minute respectively.

CNC turning process cuts the metal into various different shapes ranging from plain surface, taper ends, contour, and filter to radius profiles and threaded surfaces. These cut and turned metal pieces are used to create shafts, rods, hubs, bushes, pulleys and much more. Many industries also use it for fabricating parts and materials that have circular cross section. The process applies well to the most rigid materials that can be controlled exclusively with the software program tooling. The process does reduce the cost of production but on the other end, it limits the design flexibility.

CNC turning machines are said to deliver components at a faster production rate with optimum manufacturing accuracy. The automation of the CNC turning process allows reaching tight dimensional tolerances in every piece. Other advantages are high level of parts consistency or uniformity, achievement of optimum cycle times for all components and faster execution of larger volume. As machines have brought a revolution in the industrial world, new technologies provided by emachineshop, boost the use of metal products.

CNC Lathe Overview

A CNC lathe is a machine that can spins material to do a variety of operations like sanding, drilling, cutting or sanding. Usually a lathe is used for more intricate cuts and Today, they replace the older multispindle lathes because they are easier to set up and operate.

A CNC lathe will use carbide tooling and is designed using a CAM process which creates a file that can be uploaded to the machine at a later time. The reason these are so popular is because you can set the machine once to do several pieces and it will continue to do them until you have programmed it to stop.

Each CNC lathe has a computer control that allows the machine to be controlled electronically, and this program can be modified to do a variety of things. When an operator runs a CNC lathe they have to have a lot of skill to understand the programs and how the programs to do the work.

You can work with wood when you use a CNC wood lathe or various metals depending on the project you are doing. The wood lathe can be used for wood but also for brass and Aluminum. There are also metalworking CNC lathes or milling machines that cut metal. You can do tapered work with these, drill holes, and create screw threads and more with these lathes.

Some CNC lathes are portable and others are stationary. In many shops for people who do woodwork for a hobby you would find a lathe because it is capable of making a lot of different designs and intricate cuts for things like stair railings, trellis' or table legs.

The point of using a CNC lathe is to make a piece of material that is symmetrical and beautiful. This is done by placing the material in a machine and allowing that piece to be spun until it reaches the specification that was programmed into the computer. The cutting tools then move around it on the Z and X axis to cut away the material that isn't needed to make the piece.

The process that the CNC lathe does is called turning and it can do a variety of shapes when it goes through the full process. Many machines are used to create a plain surface to make contour shapes, to taper the ends of some pieces and it makes threaded surfaces. You can also turn metal so that you can create rods bushes, pulleys or other shapes that are needed. In some industries they use a CNC lathe to fabricate parts that may have a cross section that is to move in a circular motion.

Any material can be used as long as it will hold up during the turning process while the software program is continuing its revolutions.

CNC lathes are best used when you want to turn out several pieces of the same size and shape and where you don't want a lot of decoration. They do have their limitations but for the most part you can create nice pieces with this type of machine.