Basic turning processes

Turning is a form of machining or a material removal process, which is used to create rotational parts by cutting unwanted material parts. This process requires a lathe or turning equipment, work piece, fixture and cutting tool.
The workpiece is a piece of pre - shaped material that is secured to the fixture, which is attached to the turning machine, and ensured to rotate at high speeds. The cutter is a single-point cutting tool that is also attached in the machine, although some operations make use of multi - point tools. The cutting tool feeds into the rotating workpiece and removes the material in the form of small chips to form the desired shape.

Multiple benefits

Turning is used to produce rotational, typically axis - symmetric parts that have many features like holes, grooves, threads, tapers, different diameter steps, and even contoured surfaces. Parts that are fabricated completely through turning often include components that are employed in limited quantities for prototypes, such as custom - designed shafts and fasteners.
This procedure is also commonly drawn as a secondary process to add or refine features on parts that are manufactured using different processes. Because of high tolerances and surface finishes that turning brings, it is designed for adding precision rotational features to an area whose basic shape has already been formed.

Production cycle

The time needed to produce a given quantity of parts includes the first set-up time and the cycle time for each part. The set - up time consists of the time before the turning machine is used. It also involves planning the tool movements whether carried out manually or by a tool, and installing the fixture device into the turning machine. The cycle time can be divided into four times:
Load/unload time. It is the required time to load the workpiece into the turning machine and secure it to the fixture, as well as the period to unload the finished part. The load time is dependent on the size, weight and complexity of the workpiece, as well as the type of fixture.

Cutting time. It is time needed for the cutting tool to do all the necessary cuts in the workpiece for each operation. The cutting time for a given operation is calculated by dividing the total cut length for an operation by the feed rate, which is the speed of the tool relative to the workpiece. Idle time. It is also referred to as non-productive time. This is the time necessary for any task that occurs during the process cycle that does not include the workpiece and thus remove the material. The idle time involves the tool approaching and retracting from the workpiece, tool movements between features, adjusting machine settings and changing tools.
Tool replacement time. It is the required time to change a tool that has exceeded its shelf life and starts to wear out when cutting. This is typically not done in every cycle, but rather only after the lifetime of the tool has been achieved. In identifying the cycle time, the tool replacement time is adjusted for the production of a single part by multiplying by the frequency of a tool replacement, which is the cutting time divided by the tool lifetime.
After the turning process cycle, there is no post - processing required. However, secondary processes may be used to improve the surface finish of the part if it is necassary. The motion of the cutting tool and the spraying of lubricant remove the scrap material, in the form of small material chips cut from the workpiece, away from the workpiece. Therefore, no process cycle step is needed to eliminate the scrap material, which can be collected and discarded after the production.

Different parameters

The speed and motion of the cutting tool in turning is based on several parametAir Jordan XXXI Low