Multiple CNC machining processes are available for part production, including CNC milling and turning. Although both are subtractive machining techniques involving material removal, their working principles, outcomes, and advantages differ. Understanding CNC milling vs. turning will help you determine the best option for your specific project needs and designs. At a high level the milling part is stationary, the lathe part is turning. Milling is for not round parts. Turning is for round parts.
Understanding CNC Milling
With CNC milling, multi-point cutting tools rotate at high speeds against a workpiece to remove material and ultimately shape a part. The process begins with a CAD design, which is converted into computerized instructions that the equipment interprets to guide tool movement. Once the tooling is in the appropriate starting position and a clamp, vise, or fixture plate is holding the workpiece securely in place, you’re ready to start. At a preset feed rate and speed, the tooling gradually cuts away excess material as it rotates with multi-axis motion across the workpiece, producing the desired shape and design details.
Milling machines typically have three-, four-, or five-axis operational capabilities, enabling manufacturers to create unique profiles and handle complex detailing like contours and pockets. CNC milling is highly efficient and effective, then, in industries that require precision, like automotive, aerospace, and healthcare devices. It’s also perfect for applications like prototyping and custom manufacturing.
Advantages of CNC Milling
With CNC milling, you’ll benefit from the following:
- Shape flexibility. CNC milling can produce parts with complex geometries, making it a good choice for custom work and product designs ranging from simple to intricate.
- High-precision automation. As CNC milling is an automated process, its results are precise and repeatable, generating high-quality, identical parts without human error.
- Material compatibility. This process is compatible with various plastics, metals, alloys, ceramics, and composites, giving it impressive application versatility.
- Cost-effective production. CNC milling supports both prototyping and large-scale manufacturing affordably.
- Smooth surface finishes. Although products may necessitate minimal post-processing to remove tool marks, machined part surfaces are generally smooth.
- Multi-part Machining – multiple parts can be milled at the same time
- Ability to do non-symmetrical shapes
- Offset or angled holes
Understanding CNC Turning
CNC drilling machines feed rotating, single-point drill bits axially into a workpiece to remove material and produce holes of a precise diameter and depth. A spindle on these machines is responsible for holding the drill bits and causing the necessary high-speed rotational motion. The bits themselves vary in shape and size depending on the required hole dimensions and the material construction of the workpiece.
This process is important in industries for which accurate hole sizing and placement are crucial to components and assemblies, like engine parts for the automotive sector and circuit boards for electronics manufacturing. CNC drilling has the capacity for large-scale production, allowing manufacturers to create holes quickly without sacrificing precision or uniformity.
Advantages of CNC Turning
The CNC turning process offers:
- Superior hole accuracy. CNC drilling delivers more precise, repeatable hole dimensions than traditional drilling techniques.
- Cost-effectiveness for large production runs. Its efficiency makes it an economical choice for mass production.
- Rapid yet consistent operation. This method executes repetitive drilling tasks quickly and reliably.
- Variety of hole diameters and depths. CNC drilling can produce holes in diameters ranging from 4 centimeters down to a few millimeters and depths reaching 2600 millimeters.
- Broad material compatibility. CNC drilling, similarly to the milling process, is applicable for an array of materials.
Contact the Experts at Fisher Barton
The right process for you will depend on your specific project requirements and what part shapes or features you hope to achieve. Collaborating with a trusted CNC machining expert will help ensure you’re taking the most efficient and cost-effective approach.
For over half a century, Fisher Barton has offered high-quality precision machining solutions tailored to the requirements of the many markets we serve. Our world-class team applies their knowledge of material behavior along with Fisher Barton’s proprietary solutions for heat treating and thermal spraying to achieve products of the highest quality — all made in America!
Our specialty is high-wear components, with an emphasis on quality production to enhance part longevity. In addition to CNC milling and turning, we excel at such processes as forming, bending, stamping, cutting, casting, and welding.
Discover the Fisher Barton difference today. Contact our team to discuss your project needs or learn more about our machining capabilities.