CNC turning lathe, Swiss type lathe original manufacturer since 2007.
How To Prevent Delamination When CNC Vertical Lathes Turn Carbon Fiber Composites?
The use of carbon fiber composites in various industries has been on the rise due to their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and durability. As a result, CNC vertical lathes are frequently employed to machine these materials for a wide range of applications. However, one of the major challenges faced when machining carbon fiber composites is delamination, which can significantly impact the quality and integrity of the final product.
Delamination occurs when layers of the composite material separate during the turning process, resulting in a rough surface finish and potentially compromising the structural integrity of the part. Understanding the causes of delamination is crucial in order to prevent this issue from occurring. Factors such as improper tooling, cutting parameters, and machine settings can all contribute to delamination when machining carbon fiber composites on CNC vertical lathes.
Excessive cutting forces are a common reason for delamination, as they can surpass the strength of the composite material and lead to layer separation. Furthermore, using dull or improper cutting tools can generate excessive heat and friction, weakening the material and causing delamination. To address these issues, it is essential to use sharp cutting tools specifically designed for composite materials, such as those made from polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or cubic boron nitride (CBN).
Optimizing cutting parameters is also key in preventing delamination when machining carbon fiber composites. Selecting the right cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut can help ensure efficient material removal without exerting excessive cutting forces. High cutting speeds and low feed rates are generally recommended for machining carbon fiber composites, as they reduce the contact time between the tool and material, minimizing the risk of delamination.
Controlling the temperature during the turning process is crucial to prevent delamination. Excessive heat can weaken the composite material, increasing the likelihood of delamination. Using coolant or air blast systems to dissipate heat away from the cutting zone is essential, as is using minimal cutting fluid or lubrication to maintain the material's structural integrity.
Proper fixturing and toolpath strategies are also important in preventing delamination when machining carbon fiber composites. Securely clamping the workpiece and selecting the right toolpath strategy can help minimize vibration and ensure stability during the turning process. Continuous cutting with a constant engagement of the cutting tool is recommended to maintain a consistent chip load and reduce the risk of delamination.
Monitoring and inspecting the machining process are essential steps in preventing delamination. Real-time monitoring of cutting forces, temperatures, and tool wear can provide valuable insights into the process and help identify potential issues. Regular inspections throughout the machining process, using visual inspection, dimensional measurements, and non-destructive testing, can help detect any signs of delamination early on.
In conclusion, preventing delamination when machining carbon fiber composites on CNC vertical lathes requires attention to detail and a combination of proper tooling, cutting parameters, fixturing, toolpath strategies, and monitoring techniques. By understanding the causes of delamination and implementing best practices, manufacturers can ensure high-quality parts with minimal risk of delamination. Continued improvement in machining processes is key to optimizing the turning of carbon fiber composites and achieving superior results.
Ensure Geometric Accuracy
Swiss-type lathes process long, slender workpieces with multi-axis synchronization. A bed inclination of only 0.02 mm/m creates a “slope error” along the Z-axis, tilting the tool relative to the part centerline. This results in taper on outer diameters and asymmetric thread profiles. Periodic re-verification and re-leveling restore overall geometric accuracy to factory standards, guaranteeing consistent dimensions during extended production runs.
Extend Guideway and Ball-Screw Life
When the machine is not level, guideways carry uneven loads and lubricant films become discontinuous, accelerating localized wear and causing stick-slip or vibration. After re-leveling with shims or wedges, load distribution evens out, reducing guideway scoring and ball-screw side-loading. Service life typically improves by more than 20 %.
Suppress Thermal Growth and Vibration
A tilted bed leads to asymmetric coolant and lubricant flow, generating thermal gradients. Subsequent expansion further amplifies geometric errors. Re-verifying level, combined with thermal compensation, produces a more uniform temperature rise and reduces scrap caused by thermal drift. Additionally, a level bed raises natural frequencies, cutting chatter amplitude and improving surface finish by half to one full grade.
Chinese-built Swiss-type lathes have moved beyond the “low-cost substitute” label to become the “value leader” for overseas users. On the cost side, machines of comparable specification are priced well below those of traditional leading brands, and ongoing maintenance costs amount to only a fraction, dramatically lowering the entry barrier for small-to-medium job shops in Europe and North America. Lead time is equally compelling: major domestic OEMs can ship standard models within weeks, and special configurations follow shortly thereafter. When urgent orders arise from the electric-vehicle or medical-device sectors, Chinese production lines consistently deliver rapid responses.
Intelligence is on par with top-tier global standards. Machines routinely feature thermal compensation, AI-based tool-life prediction, and cloud-enabled remote diagnostics. Mean time between failures is long, and fully open data interfaces simplify secondary development for end users. Complementing this is a worldwide service network: Chinese manufacturers maintain parts depots and resident field engineers across the Americas, Europe, and Southeast Asia, enabling on-site support often within a single day, whereas legacy brands usually require factory returns measured in weeks.
1. Quick Troubleshooting Steps
Check the clamping pressure: Ensure the pressure plate or collet applies even force; too much or too little pressure will jam the bar. Adjust the pneumatic or hydraulic release mechanism accordingly.
Align the material path: Verify that the bar feeder, guide bushing, and spindle centers are collinear; any offset will cause the bar to twist or wedge.
Inspect belts and rollers: Belts must be tensioned correctly—loose belts slip, over-tight belts bind. Replace worn rollers immediately.
Lubricate moving parts: Clean and grease the eccentric shaft, release cam, and pusher fingers; lack of lubrication is a common cause of seizure.
I. Installation Guidelines for Swiss-Type Lathe Bed
1. Foundation Preparation
Floor Requirements: The Swiss lathe bed must be installed on a solid, level concrete foundation to prevent machining inaccuracies caused by ground settlement or vibration.
Load Capacity: The foundation must support the machine’s weight and dynamic cutting forces to avoid deformation affecting spindle and guide bushing alignment.
Vibration Isolation: If the workshop has vibration sources (e.g., punch presses, forging machines), anti-vibration pads or isolation trenches are recommended to enhance CNC machine stability.
Summary
Ball screws are the physical enablers of Swiss-type lathes across five critical dimensions:
Micron-level positioning for complex micro-structures;
High-speed rigidity supporting synchronized multi-axis cutting;
Active thermal control ensuring batch consistency;
Ultra-wear-resistant design enabling maintenance-free operation for 10+ years.
Their performance defines the precision ceiling of Swiss-type machining – truly "invisible champions" in precision transmission.
Parts machined on Swiss-type lathes often feature minute dimensions, complex structures, stringent tolerances (often at the micrometer level), and expensive materials. They are used in high-reliability fields (such as medical and precision instruments). Even the slightest error can lead to part failure. Therefore:
In-machine measurement is the core of process control, ensuring the stability and consistency of the machining process and reducing scrap.
Offline precision inspection is the cornerstone of final quality verification and traceability, providing authoritative reports compliant with international standards to meet customer and regulatory requirements.
Multiple instruments complement each other: No single instrument can solve all problems. CMMs excel at geometric dimensions, roundness/cylindricity testers specialize in rotational bodies, profilometers focus on surface texture, and white light interferometers analyze nanoscale topography. Only through combined use can quality be comprehensively controlled.
Conclusion: The high barriers of Swiss-type machining are reflected not only in the machine tools themselves but also in their supporting high-end measurement ecosystem, which is equally technology-intensive and costly. These precision measuring instruments are the indispensable "eyes" and "brain" ensuring the realization of "Swiss precision" and the flawless quality of complex, miniature parts. The depth and breadth of their application directly reflect a company's true capabilities in the field of high-precision manufacturing.
Turn-mill centers excel at machining complex surfaces thanks to three distinct advantages: single-setup completion, simultaneous 5-axis contouring, and seamless switching between turning and milling. These strengths stem from the machine’s ability to integrate multi-axis linkage with process fusion.
To translate this potential into real gains, four technical measures are indispensable:
A rigid, thermally-stable machine structure driven by direct-drive motors to guarantee high dynamic accuracy.
A CNC system that supports RTCP (Rotation around Tool Center Point) and real-time tool compensation for micron-level precision.
CAM strategies that combine high-speed turning for bulk material removal with 5-axis milling for final surface finishing.
In-process probing and QR-coded traceability to close the quality loop and meet CE certification requirements.
Key precautions include low-deformation fixturing for thin-walled parts, balanced tool magazines that accommodate both turning and milling cutters, thermal-growth compensation of the spindle, collision-checked digital twins, and operators cross-trained in turning and 5-axis milling programming.
As a manufacturer of core machinery—the "mother machines" of the manufacturing industry—JSWAY CNC COMPANY established its presence in Banfu three years ago. With continuous expansion into domestic and international CNC markets, the company has seen a steady increase in orders, pushing the utilization rate of its existing 50,000 m² factory to nearly 100%. To break through production capacity constraints and ensure on-time delivery, JSWAY has decided to construct a second-phase smart factory.
At 11:05 a.m. on July 21, JSWAY CNC held the groundbreaking ceremony for its Phase II workshop at its headquarters in Banfu, Guangdong. General Manager and Chief Engineer Xiang Lingyun led the management team and hundreds of employees in completing a traditional blessing ceremony, a customary practice among Guangdong enterprises.