The Difference Between CNC Lathe and Milling Machine

A lathe and a milling machine are two common machining equipment used in metal processing.

A lathe is primarily used to machine rotary parts and can produce various shapes of parts such as shafts, sleeves, and gears. On a lathe, the workpiece is fixed on the main spindle and rotated at high speed. The tool moves parallel or perpendicular to the axis of rotation to cut the workpiece to the desired shape.

A milling machine, on the other hand, is a machine tool used to process flat and vertical surfaces and can produce parts of different shapes, such as planes, gears, and cams. In a milling machine, the workpiece is fixed on the worktable, and the milling cutter cuts the workpiece using different motion paths.

The main differences between the two metal processing equipment are their processing methods and application ranges:

1. Processing methods: A lathe is rotary processing equipment, and the workpiece is fixed on the main spindle. The tool moves along the trajectory of the workpiece's rotation axis for cutting. A milling machine is a feed processing equipment, and the workpiece is fixed on the worktable. The milling cutter cuts the workpiece using different motion paths.
2. Application ranges: A lathe is mainly used to process rotary parts such as shafts, sleeves, and gears. A milling machine is mainly used to process flat, vertical, and irregularly shaped parts such as planes, gears, and cams. Therefore, the application ranges of a lathe and a milling machine are different.
3. Processing accuracy: A lathe can usually achieve high-precision rotary machining and produce high-precision cylindrical parts, such as rotating parts of precision instruments. A milling machine can usually achieve high-precision flat machining and produce high-precision planes, grooves, and other parts.
4. Operational difficulty: The operation of a lathe is relatively simple, mainly involving the adjustment of tool and machining speed parameters. A milling machine requires more operation skills and experience, such as adjusting the feed rate, speed, cutting depth of the milling cutter, etc.