Turning

Turning is a machining process in which a rotating workpiece is cut with a fixed cutting tool to create cylindrical or conical surfaces. 

This method is often used to produce parts such as shafts, axles or rotating parts.

Complex revolution shapes can be produced more cost-effectively with a CNC lathe than with a 3-axis or 5-axis CNC milling machine. With a CNC lathe, the chuck holds the rotating part, while the cutting tools move axially and radially.

If non-axis-of-revolution surfaces are required on a mainly turned part, as a general rule, the geometry of revolution is first created using a lathe, then the part is moved to a milling machine to machine the other surfaces. Lathes with milling tools can perform certain milling operations such as drilling, slotting and tapping within the lathe itself.

Milling

Milling is a machining process in which a rotating cutter removes material from the workpiece to create precise shapes and surfaces.

This method is ideal for manufacturing parts with complex geometries, such as gears, molds or machine parts.

Parts are manufactured by holding the material or workpiece on the machine table, while a rapidly rotating spindle holding the cutting tool removes material. Horizontal and vertical movements of the table are used to move the part, enabling it to be cut to different shapes and depths.

In machines with an additional control axis, such as the rotary axis in 5-axis machines, tooling can access multiple faces and hard-to-reach areas to create complex designs with fewer external part manipulations (e.g. turning, machine changeover).