A lathe produces cylindrical parts by rotating materials on a fixed tool. The use of a lathe to manufacture parts is called turning. The raw material is fixed in a high-speed rotating chuck - the rotating axis is called the C-axis. The tool of the lathe is installed on the tool holder, which can move parallel to the C-axis (represented by movement along the Z-axis) and perpendicular to the C-axis (X-axis movement). On CNC lathes, by simultaneously controlling the X and Z positions of the tool holder, the rotational speed of certain features can be changed to turn complex cylindrical geometric shapes.
More advanced lathes have automatic tool changers, part catchers for serial production, and power tools that allow for certain milling functions. The material needs to be fixed in the chuck, and in some cases, it needs to support its tail seat. Lathes excel in manufacturing cylindrical parts with very strict tolerances and repeatability. Lathes are not used for parts whose main features deviate from the axis. Without additional tools, parts with off axis features cannot be turned on a lathe. For example, a lathe can only drill holes on the central shaft by installing a drill bit on the tailstock; In standard turning operations, eccentric holes are usually not possible.
