What Type of CNC Machine Do You Need?

Businesses today are facing increased competition, especially in the machining and manufacturing industries. The uptick in competition in both machining and manufacturing is industry-wide and making it much more challenging to succeed. One of the single most important factors in the success of these firms is the equipment they use. Here’s what you need to know about CNC machines and which types of these machines are right for your business.

Introduction to CNC Machines

Before delving into the various types of CNC machines and how they can help your business, you might be wondering what a CNC machine is in the first place. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, or simply put, a computer driven machine. These machines essentially are comprised of automated controls combined with precision and way and drive systems. The types of machining tools that qualify as CNC machines are vast but include machines like Vertical Machining Centers (VMC's), boring mills, lathes, drills, and many other complex and multi axis systems.

Types of CNC Machines

Knowing more about the different types of CNC machines can help you get more value out of them and give your machining operations a welcome boost. The various types of CNC machines available are designed to do different things and specialize in different machining applications. Here’s what you should know about CNC machine types and uses.

CNC Machines and Swiss Turning

For many machining businesses, Swiss Turning is arguably one of the most useful types of CNC machine tools. Swiss turning machines specialize in facilitating the machining of smaller yet highly sophisticated parts. A CNC Swiss Turning machine can extend tool life significantly and makes it easy to achieve fine finishes and exacting tolerances. It works by taking bar stock material and spinning it at a high rate of speed while feeding it into the CNC Swiss machine. Meanwhile, the cutting tools will complete the profiling.

A CNC Swiss Turning machine can turn long thin parts without deflection. Machines using fixed headstock lathes typically incur deflection problems when trying to use it to turn a part that is long and slender in shape. Swiss Turning CNC machines feature a sliding headstock which is why they perform so much better when handling long slender parts.

CNC Machines for Horizontal Milling

A Horizontal CNC mill uses a horizontal mounted spindle with rotary cutters. They are typically used to extract metal from higher production demands. Firms who need to remove metal from workpieces benefit from using these types of CNC machine tools as the design employed allows for multiple surfaces to be addressed in one setup and gravitational forces assist in clearing away the chips and debris previously machined.

CNC Machines for Vertical Milling

Vertical milling CNC machines are well suited for drilling and general machining applications. As they are the simplest form of 3 dimensional machining capability, they are the most popular and least expensive. Many VMC's are found in shops throughout the world and are the single highest purchased category of machine tool, both new and used, in the world. Vertical Machining Centers are both highly praised for their versatility but also their accessibility and ease of use.

CNC Turning Machines

A CNC Turning machine uses a two-axis control to drive a turret or more complex tool holding system over the turning workpiece to be machined. They work by taking bars of material, clamping them securely in a rotating chuck and feeding the tool across the workpiece thereby removing the material until the intended shape is left as a result.  Tools can be exchanged automatically for different applications and needs. 

Choosing the Right CNC Machine

CNC machines have a long history stretching back to the 1940's and 1950's where they originated. The original generations of CNC machine types relied on perforated tape as a form of data storage and where designed initially to purely repeat a pattern of movement (production), or in some cases perform a series of combined movements that simply were not possible any other way. These machines have come a long way since then! They are currently digital and perform exponentially better than their predecessors. Machining is a complicated business, turning simple stock material into carefully designed finished products can be harder than it sounds unless you have the right equipment.

While there will always be challenges in the machining trade, many of those challenges can be surmounted and eliminated by using high-quality CNC machines. Remember, the more you know about the different types of CNC machines, the better. Managers and decision-makers in machining operations can benefit from learning more about CNC machine types and uses. By understanding these machines and what they can do for you, you’ll ultimately make better decisions and get more valuable use out of them. As you have seen, there are numerous CNC machine types out there, find the right on for your business today.

At Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales, Inc. we are experts in CNC Milling, Turning, Swiss type and all other types of manufacturing machinery. Our staff has a combined level of experience of over 100 years in the machining and turning business. Call us at 1-813-444-4555 with your application needs today or visit us on the web at www.southernfabsales.com to find out more about how we, can help you, achieve more!