CNC turning lathe, Swiss type lathe original manufacturer since 2007.
Different Types Of CNC Machines And Their Applications
If you're in the manufacturing industry, chances are you've heard of CNC machines. CNC, which stands for Computer Numerical Control, machines are used in various industries to automate processes and produce complex parts with precision. There are different types of CNC machines, each with its specific applications and benefits. In this article, we'll explore the various types of CNC machines and their applications, so you can better understand which one is the right fit for your manufacturing needs.
1. CNC Milling Machines
CNC milling machines are some of the most common types of CNC machines found in manufacturing facilities. These machines use rotary cutters to remove material from a workpiece, creating a final product with precise dimensions. CNC milling machines can be used to produce a wide range of parts, from simple components to intricate designs. They are ideal for producing prototypes, custom parts, and large quantities of components in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and medical device manufacturing.
One of the key advantages of CNC milling machines is their ability to work with a variety of materials, including metals, plastics, and composites. These machines can also perform multiple operations in a single setup, reducing production time and increasing efficiency. Additionally, CNC milling machines offer high accuracy and repeatability, making them an essential tool for manufacturers who require tight tolerances and complex geometries in their parts.
2. CNC Turning Machines
CNC turning machines, also known as lathes, are used to create cylindrical components by removing material from a rotating workpiece. These machines are commonly used to produce parts such as shafts, bolts, and fittings in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and oil and gas. CNC turning machines can be equipped with multiple tooling stations, allowing for the creation of complex geometries and features in a single operation.
One of the main advantages of CNC turning machines is their ability to produce high-quality, symmetrical parts with consistent surface finishes. These machines are also known for their ability to efficiently produce large quantities of components, making them a cost-effective option for manufacturers with high-volume production needs. Additionally, CNC turning machines can work with a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, and wood, making them versatile tools for various applications.
3. CNC Grinding Machines
CNC grinding machines are used to create precision components with fine surface finishes by removing material from a workpiece using abrasive wheels. These machines are commonly used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and medical device manufacturing to produce components with tight tolerances and complex geometries. CNC grinding machines can be used to produce a wide range of parts, including shafts, gears, and bearings, with high accuracy and repeatability.
One of the key advantages of CNC grinding machines is their ability to create parts with extremely tight tolerances and fine surface finishes, making them ideal for applications that require precise dimensions and smooth surfaces. These machines also offer high productivity and efficiency, as they can perform multiple operations in a single setup, reducing production time and increasing throughput. Additionally, CNC grinding machines can work with a variety of materials, including metals, ceramics, and composites, making them suitable for a wide range of applications.
4. CNC Electrical Discharge Machines (EDM)
CNC electrical discharge machines, also known as EDM machines, are used to create intricate parts with complex geometries and fine details by using electrical discharges to erode material from a workpiece. These machines are commonly used in industries such as mold making, tool and die manufacturing, and aerospace to produce components with high precision and surface finish. CNC EDM machines can be used to create a wide range of parts, including injection molds, extrusion dies, and turbine blades, with exceptional accuracy and repeatability.
One of the main advantages of CNC EDM machines is their ability to produce parts with complex geometries and fine details that are difficult or impossible to achieve using traditional machining methods. These machines can also work with a wide range of materials, including metals, alloys, and conductive ceramics, making them versatile tools for various applications. Additionally, CNC EDM machines offer high productivity and efficiency, as they can produce parts with minimal tool wear and no direct contact between the tool and the workpiece, resulting in minimal material distortion and stress.
5. CNC Laser Cutting Machines
CNC laser cutting machines are used to create precise parts and components by using a high-powered laser to cut or engrave material from a workpiece. These machines are commonly used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and electronics to produce parts with intricate designs and tight tolerances. CNC laser cutting machines can be used to cut a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, and composites, with exceptional accuracy and speed.
One of the key advantages of CNC laser cutting machines is their ability to produce parts with complex designs and fine details that are difficult or impossible to achieve with conventional cutting methods. These machines can also perform multiple operations, such as cutting, engraving, and marking, in a single setup, reducing production time and increasing efficiency. Additionally, CNC laser cutting machines offer high productivity and flexibility, as they can work with a variety of materials and thicknesses, making them suitable for a wide range of applications.
In conclusion, CNC machines come in various types, each with its specific applications and advantages. Whether you need to produce precise components with complex geometries or high-volume parts with tight tolerances, there's a CNC machine that's right for your manufacturing needs. By understanding the different types of CNC machines and their applications, you can make informed decisions about which one is the best fit for your production requirements and take your manufacturing operations to the next level.
Competitiveness policy of Guangdong JSWAY CNC Machine Tool Co., Ltd. is about existing clusters as a platform for upgrading microeconomic fundamentals, where structural policies aim to change the industrial composition of an economy more directly.
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is something that has been around for a few decades now, enjoying it's heyday back in the mill axis.
Daily “Clean + Lubricate” as the Baseline
After each shift, remove chips and coolant residue from the fixture surface and collet jaws with a soft cloth or air gun to prevent corrosion and re-clamping errors. Every eight hours, apply a trace of rust preventive oil to spring collets, guide bushings and other moving parts; once a week, add a thin coat of grease to ball-screw nuts and hydraulic cylinder rods to reduce wear. Before any prolonged shutdown, spray anti-rust oil on internal bores and locating faces and wrap them in wax paper or plastic film.
Precision Calibration & Data Closure
Use ring gauges or master bars every month to verify repeatability of the fixture; log results in the MES. If deviation exceeds 0.005 mm, trigger compensation or repair. For quick-change systems (HSK/Capto), check taper contact percentage every six months—target ≥ 80 %. If lower, re-grind or replace.
Spare Parts & Training
Keep minimum stock of jaws, seals and springs to enable replacement within two hours. Hold quarterly on-machine training sessions for operators on correct clamping practices and anomaly recognition to eliminate abusive clamping.
In short, embedding “clean–lubricate–inspect–calibrate” into daily SOP keeps the fixture delivering micron-level accuracy, reduces downtime, and extends overall machine life.
Six preventive measures
Environment control: keep the workshop at a stable temperature and low humidity; exclude dust and corrosive gases to reduce chemical wear on guideways and screws.
Daily checks: remove chips every shift and inspect the lubrication of the spindle, bearings, ball screws and guideways; act on any abnormality immediately.
Preventive lubrication: replace lubricants on schedule and keep the lubrication system unobstructed to minimize fatigue wear.
Accuracy monitoring: use laser interferometers or ball-bar systems monthly to measure geometric errors and compensate for ball-screw backlash or guideway straightness in time.
Electrical health checks: periodically examine cables, relays and cooling fans to prevent hidden aging caused by overheating.
Data monitoring: onboard sensors record spindle current, vibration and temperature; cloud-based analytics predict early bearing or tool failures.
Why prevention matters
• Ensures machining consistency: eliminating micron-level error sources keeps batch dimensions stable and reduces scrap.
• Extends machine life: preventing micro-cracks from growing can prolong overall life by more than 20 %.
• Reduces unplanned downtime: planned maintenance replaces emergency repairs, increasing overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by 10 % or more.
• Cuts total cost: lower spare-parts inventory, labor and lost-production costs can save tens of thousands of dollars per machine annually.
• Enhances brand reputation: consistent on-time, defect-free deliveries strengthen customer trust and secure future orders.
Optimizing cycle time on turn-mill machining centers is crucial for boosting productivity and reducing costs. It requires a systematic approach addressing machine tools, cutting tools, processes, programming, fixtures, and material flow.
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.