When computer technology took the lead in everything in modern life at the last quarter of the 20th century, CNC woodworking was one of the industries that were revolutionized as well as the others. Woodworking is now prefixed by its descriptive initials CNC which simply means computer numerical control.

With the innovation, all the other areas of woodworking (lathe, machine, drill, route, etc.) are now done via computer directions and assistance. Production of varieties of metal and wooden parts is now easier because of the speed and versatility of these modern lathes.

Lathes

Lathes are those woodworking machines that shape materials and create such items as posts, ornate designs on wood, and many others. It is also used for cutting, trimming and sanding finished items as well.

All lathes are identical and work by the same methods. CNC lathes can be programmed by the user. The computer takes the design information and moves the lathe accordingly as it follows the design embedded in the programmed data.

How it works

CNC lathes can do many different kinds of work, with turning as the most common. Turning is working on a piece that is turning at high speed while a removable machine tool cuts away extraneous materials from that piece.

They are also used as drills and reamers to make holes in the material. Today, holes can be off center or in some other specific place. (This operation was not possible in regular lathe operations.)

Some pieces can be done by a manual lathe, but a CNC lathe can follow cylindrical dimensions which are very hard and near-impossible to do manually. These complicated moves are programmed into the machine and are carried out with zero error.

Advantages and benefits

Because programming does not put in margins of error, CNC lathes produce uniform products looking exactly like the original. Duplicates are all identical with no noticeable variations in them whatsoever.

What come out unmatched as well are the CNC lathe’s speed and the accuracy in the manufacture of these desired pieces or products. Experienced lathe machinists can do simple parts just as fast and accurately, but the properly programmed CNC lathe is more consistent.

Another time-saving aspect is that the CNC lathe goes to work steadily while manual lathes need each tool to be inserted. It also needs to be retaught each time there is a new tool introduced.

Versatile sizes and functions

Today’s CNC lathes are available in many sizes and are made by specialty manufacturers of sophisticated machinery. The most common CNC lathe has a tool turret that can hold tooling (insert cutters, drills, reamers) and a spindle with a chuck jaw to hold different types of metal.

The spindle turns the part and the tool turret moves in two axis, X (left to right movement) and Z (front to back movement).

Outlook

Once again, CNC woodworking is moving in longer strides in step with today’s technology. With computer-assisted manufacturing processes in place, the future outlook of the industry gets brighter in terms of speed, increased productivity, and exciting new discoveries to be made along the way.