Understanding CNC Milling and CNC Turning
When you have a rigid piece of material like steel, wrought iron, or some other hard metal, and you wish to have things like gears shaped from this piece of metal, then you need to have the item machined. To machine a piece of material means that you will use a device that has been designed to help make items for other machines. The processes of CNC milling and CNC turning are two of the different types of machining that are performed to create precise cuts and designs of the metal materials.
The CNC turning is basically done using a lathe. When you have turning done as a part of machining the action can be performed by human hand or it can be performed by the computer numerical control devices that are known as the CNC turning machines. These tools have more control and can create more precise pieces than the freehand style of tools can create.
When you have milling done you are likely having holes drilled into solid pieces. Do not confuse the actions performed by a CNC milling machine with the actions performed using a drill press. A drill press holds the material being punched in a tight grip and does not allow it to move. The CNC milling machine does allow the material to move making the drilling more precise.
Eli Whitney is given the credit for producing the very first milling machine somewhere between 1912 and the year 1916. Whitney took full credit in his mind for developing the first milling machine but in fact there were several people who can take some of this credit. Various inventors contributed throughout the years to the ideas and the design of the very first milling device produced. Some of these other inventors included Robert Johnson who hailed from Connecticut, and Captain John Hall who hailed from Harpers Ferry, and Simeon North who hailed from Middletown. You can also include the prestigious Roswell Lee and Thomas Blanchard to the list of inventors that made contributions to the first milling machine produced.
Due to the invention and the availability of the personal computer the CNC milling and the CNC turning machines have grown in popularity. More and more small shops are capable of having these machines because they have computers in their shops, and there are even hobbyists that are beginning to own the devices.
Technology is continually improving on the machines and the availability of these devices to the average person has become far more widespread. The computerised versions are so precise with their cuts and their detail work that the fault error ratio in the designs done with them are almost reduced to none.
The development of computer technology and the accessibility to personal computers has improved the cnc turning and cnc machining machines to the point that almost all shops that work with rigid metals now have their own.
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