What is Machining?

A lathe machine is a type of machine tool that uses a tool bit and rotation to cut materials. It works by rotating material against a tool bit to remove the material forcefully. There are two types of lathes, CNC lathes and general-purpose lathes. The difference lies in the automation used for the lathe machine to work effectively. CNC lathes require computers to control the automatic lathe process, while general-purpose lathes rely on manual effort.

A computer numerically controlled machine tool (CNC) is a machine embedded with a computer for functioning and following process instructions. CNCs use any type of machining process and are much more efficient than manual machines because they can use several processes at once and flexibly change processes throughout production.

A machining center, also known as a milling machine, is a CNC machine tool that can mill, drill, bore, tap, and perform various other work all without changing the attachment of the workpiece. It can use a turret to automatically bring different tools to the work location. Many machines have the ability to work with various tools, but the tool change and fixturing sometimes slows the process down. Using a machining center helps streamline this process by adding a computerized system that controls a retrieval arm for the machine to automate and quicken the tool exchange process.

A turret is a type of machine with multiple mounted tool bits allowing for many different types of machine processing. Since CNC machine tools use automated systems that can be programmed to use several processes at once, this is an instance where a turret would be used.

Turning uses a lathe machine and a tool bit to cut cylindrical or discoidal workpieces into round shapes by turning them with the lathe.

Milling is the subtractive manufacturing process of removing material from a larger piece of raw material stock, usually metal, to create final parts with a desired shape and size. The milling machine uses a cutting tool that rotates on a material and carves and shaves the surface until the desired form is achieved.

Drilling is the machining or manual process of making a hole by rotating a tool (drill) into the material.

Boring is the process of putting a tool (reamer) inside a drilled hole to enlarge it.

Subtractive machining is a general term used when describing a machine that shapes a block of material by removing material to create the final product. Examples of this type of machining include drilling, boring, milling, cutting, and grinding.

Additive machining refers to machining that involves creating a final product by putting together geometric-shaped materials. This process used to involve molding prototypes manually, but with modern technology, the most commonly known type of additive machining is 3D printing.