Constituent Parts / Components
Modern CNC lathes are a combination of a computer with a lathe machine and a controller that converts each digital signal into the desired action. Before this the instructions have to be written using specialist software to encode the required actions. The work piece is next fitted on the chuck and rotated at slow or high speeds depending on the material and the type of cut or centering required. The computer then controls the lathe through the cutting action until the finished product is produced. The latest lathes can have up to four spindles to perform multiple jobs simultaneously, which reduces production time and improves productivity accordingly.
CNC lathes are usually fitted with three jaw hydraulic chucks. Holding of the raw material to be transformed is usually done with hard jaws or bored soft jaws. Lathes can also be equipped with a collet chuck. This allows for variable size and precision holding without the need for soft jaw boring. When a lathe is equipped with a collet chuck, it may require a change to the draw bar that connects the actuator to the chuck.
Tool pieces are usually made of hard alloys such as titanium carbide and tungsten carbide, and may vary depending on the material that needs to be processed. They are used until the sharpness reduces below a predefined level. After this level is reached they are either resharpened, or replaced with a new bit.
A skilled operator is still required for a CNC lathe, despite all the advances in computer technology. In the past this would have required one or two operators for the actual physical work, so there is still a saving in both time and manpower. A developer is also required to compile the program commands needed to instruct the equipment in the first place.
Programming a CNC lathe firstly requires a blueprint of the item to be created. After the blueprint is analysed, the programming of the cutting tools required for making each part can then be started. Every move is programmed in extremely fine detail so that the required engineering tolerances can be achieved. A lot of skill and quality review is required at this stage to ensure no problems occur once the program is running in the live environment.