How Our Production-Level CNC Turning Center Benefits Prototype Customers
Do your cylindrical CNC prototype parts have features that require C and Y axis live tooling capabilities? Examples of such features include:
Off-center drilled or tapped holes on the part’s face (#1 in image)
On-center and off-center drilled or tapped holes on the part’s sides (#3)
CNC milled features on the part’s face (#2) or sides (#4)
Parts with cylindrical profiles are typically best machined on a CNC turning center. Yet many machine shops don’t own a turning center with the ability to machine all the features on a cylindrical part, forcing those shops to transfer the piece to a CNC mill to complete the job.
Here in our Denver machine shop, however, we have an advanced CNC turning center that supports simple and complex CNC turning services all on a single machine!
You won’t always find a production-level turning center like ours at prototype machine shops. But after learning how both our prototype and low-volume production customers could benefit from this equipment, choosing to invest in it was a no-brainer.
Keep reading to find out why prototype machining customers love coming to Summit CNC for CNC turning services.
The Benefits of Using One Machine Instead of Two
There are two common approaches to machining a cylindrical part that requires C and Y axis live tooling capabilities:
1. Two Machines. Some shops use a 2-axis CNC lathe to turn features symmetrical to the Z axis of rotation, then move the part to a CNC mill to machine the remaining features. There are numerous drawbacks to this approach, which we’ll explain.
2. One Machine. A single lathe with C and Y axis live tooling capabilities can machine a cylindrical part from start to finish—no secondary machine required. We’ll take a closer look at the benefits of this approach.
Here are four considerations for using one machine instead of two when providing CNC turning services:
1. Multiple Location-Sensitive Outer Diameter (OD) Features
If your cylindrical part design includes multiple OD features, such as holes or slots, a CNC mill may not be capable of drilling or milling these features at their proper locations relative to one another.
Even if a CNC mill can machine such features at their proper locations in relation to each other, the process often requires specialized tooling and custom soft jaws for securely positioning the part during machining. These factors are likely to increase your cost and may even extend your lead time.
At Summit CNC: Our Denver machine shop will machine your cylindrical prototype on a lathe with C and Y axis live tooling capabilities. This lathe’s spindle will accurately index the workpiece to the correct degree for each OD feature.
2. Tolerances
Whenever a part is transferred from a lathe to a mill, there’s a risk that the features will exceed their specified tolerances. This outcome becomes more likely for parts with precision tolerances of less than +/- 0.005".
At Summit CNC: We machine your turned parts entirely on a single machine. The turning center’s tool offsets are established on one machine, and that machine’s operator verifies the part’s measurements throughout the machining process. Minimal clamping is required, further reducing the risk of out-of-tolerance features.
3. Cost
Moving a part from a turning center to a mill requires two machine setups instead of one. Additionally, cylindrical parts commonly require custom soft jaws upon arriving at the mill for the next round of machining.
These added steps increase your part’s overall setup time, which subsequently raises its cost to be machined and the price you pay.
4. Lead time
We’ve already discussed the cost implications when using two machines to make a cylindrical part. Now let’s look at how a two-machine approach can lengthen your lead time.
When a turning center and a mill are both required to machine a part, the time associated with quoting, programming, setup, and machining inevitably increases. As a result, your parts take longer than necessary to arrive in your hands.
At Summit CNC: With our one-machine approach to CNC turning services, your part’s journey to completion is streamlined, and you get your part faster.
CNC Turning Services at Summit CNC
As COO, cofounder and machinist, Brian Korbelik is committed to offering state-of-the-art CNC turning services that produce complex cylindrical parts as accurately, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible.
“When we first launched our CNC turning services, I knew we needed turning centers with C and Y axis live tooling capabilities,” explains Brian. “We’d received enough customer quote requests to justify investing in these capabilities. While the upfront cost was higher, the long-term benefits for our shop and our customers are tremendous!”
Our Denver CNC machine shop continually invests in manufacturing processes based on customer requests and requirements. We aim to remove friction from your manufacturing experience, from prototype to production.
Our CNC turning center with C and Y axis live tooling capabilities is just one example of how we prioritize quality, speed, and long-term strategies for our machine shop’s growth and development.
Do you have cylindrical parts that would benefit from a turning center with C and Y axis live tooling capabilities?
Request a quote today to get top-quality turned parts!