Reasons to Choose CNC Lathes Over Conventional Lathes

CNC lathes offer many advantages over conventional machines. Five key benefits are outlined below.

Double Head CNC Lathe DNL082/DNL082G

1. 99.99% accuracy

As less manual labor is involved, the chances of achieving optimal accuracy are pretty high with CNC lathes. This makes these machines a top choice in industries requiring high precision — such as the aerospace, health care, and hospitality sectors. Plus, CNC lathes work with almost every type of material. That said, one can never eliminate all errors, manually or otherwise. That’s why we’ve kept that 0.01% aside.

2. Cost efficiency

While CNC lathes are a lot costlier than manual lathes, CNC models still offer a range of financial benefits, including:

● Low setup costs — Setup costs are a one-time expenditure when working with CNC lathes.

● Machining costs — With CNC machines, you recoup every investment by being able to produce 20x more parts than manual lathes allow in a given time frame.

● Labor costs — Fewer operators are required with CNC lathe work, and they don’t need to be tied to the machines 24/7. This frees up your labor budget for other essential operations.

● Material waste — Less human error means less material waste.

3. No need for highly skilled operators

In the past, working with lathes required two highly skilled operators — one handling the lathe and the other controlling the material. It was a tough job. But now, with the introduction of computers and automation, lathe tasks are a lot less daunting. You need just one operator — someone skilled enough to enter the dimensions onto the machine, adjust the feeds and the speeds, and let the computer (and the machine) do the rest.

4. Full automation, allowing for easier, quicker work

Producing hundreds, even millions, of similar dimensions is easier than ever, thanks to modern CNC lathes. Today, machine-controlled systems enable CNC lathes to produce perfect pieces easier and quicker than ever before. Whether you need simple parts, intricate parts with tight tolerances, or unique, intricate shapes, CNC lathes can handle the job.

5. Highly versatile, allowing for use in the creation of all kinds of products and parts

Unlike manual lathes, CNC lathes are versatile enough to produce nearly any kind of product or part — from sturdy furniture pieces and car parts to delicate lamps and crockery. Shaping cylinders or spheres is easy with CNC lathes, which can even be used to produce replacements parts for other machines.

I could tell you about the different types of CNC controls, and try to convince you they’re easier than ever to operate. Leave that for the sales engineers. If you’re still relying on manual equipment to compete, rest assured, you probably won’t be for long. It’s time for a change.