CNC Turning Service —
Lathe, Swiss & Live-Tooling Turning
Shafts, bushings, pins and complex rotational parts machined to ±0.005 mm standard. Our CNC lathes, Swiss-type machines and live-tooling centres handle any cylindrical part — from 0.5 mm micro-shafts to 400 mm diameter.
What Is CNC Turning?
CNC turning is a subtractive machining process where the workpiece rotates at high speed while a stationary single-point cutting tool traverses in X and Z axes. The result is parts with cylindrical, conical, threaded or contoured profiles — shafts, pins, bushings, nozzles, fittings and more.
Standard CNC lathes are the most economical option for rotational parts up to 400 mm diameter and 1,500 mm length. Adding live tooling to the turret allows milling, drilling and tapping operations in the same setup — eliminating costly repositioning.
Swiss-type CNC turning uses a guide bushing to support the bar stock immediately adjacent to the cutting zone. This eliminates deflection and enables extremely long, slender parts — down to 0.5 mm diameter — at micron-level tolerances. It is the method of choice for medical screws, dental implants and precision electronics.
Choose standard turning for general-purpose cylindrical parts. Choose Swiss when L/D exceeds 10:1 or diameter falls below 6 mm. Add live tooling when cross-features would otherwise require a second machine. See our tolerance guide for detailed capability data.
CNC Turning Types
We operate CNC lathes, Swiss-type turning centres and live-tooling mill-turn machines. The right choice depends on part diameter, complexity and required tolerance.
CNC Lathe Turning
2-axis CNC turning is the foundation of cylindrical part production. The workpiece rotates while a stationary cutting tool traverses in X and Z to produce shafts, pins, step-bores, threads and tapers with excellent repeatability.
- Standard tolerance ±0.01 mm
- Max diameter 400 mm
- Max length 1,500 mm
- Internal and external threads
Ideal for: shafts, pins, spacers, threaded fasteners, pulleys
CNC Turning with Live Tooling
Live-tooling lathes add rotating milling and drilling heads on the turret. Cross-holes, keyways, flats and off-centre features can all be machined without moving the part to a milling centre — saving setups and maintaining concentricity.
- Milling, drilling & tapping in one setup
- Off-centre and angular features
- Slot, flat, cross-hole in single clamping
- Better concentricity than multi-setup
Ideal for: valve bodies, hydraulic fittings, shafts with keyways or cross-holes
Swiss CNC Turning
Swiss-type lathes guide the bar stock through a guide bushing, supporting it right at the cut. This near-zero deflection setup allows extremely slender parts — down to 0.5 mm diameter — to be machined to micron-level precision at high feed rates.
- Min diameter 0.5 mm
- Tolerance to ±0.003 mm
- Ideal for long, slender parts
- High-volume production efficiency
Ideal for: medical pins, watch parts, dental screws, micro-shafts, electronics
Turning Specifications
Quick-reference turning specifications by machine type.
| Specification | CNC Lathe | Swiss CNC |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Tolerance (diameter) | ±0.01 mm | ±0.005 mm |
| High Precision Tolerance | ±0.005 mm | ±0.003 mm |
| Max Turning Diameter | 400 mm | 32 mm |
| Max Turning Length | 1,500 mm | 300 mm |
| Min Diameter | 2 mm | 0.5 mm |
| Surface Finish Ra | 0.8 μm std | 0.4 μm std |
| Thread Standards | M, UNC, UNF, BSPT | M, UNC, UNF |
| Live Tooling | Available | Available |
Tolerances depend on material, L/D ratio and feature geometry. Contact us for a DFM review on critical dimensions.
Materials We Turn
We turn 50+ metals and engineering plastics. Common CNC turning materials:
Surface Finishes
All surface finishes available in-house. Discuss requirements when submitting your RFQ.
As-Turned
Ra 1.6–3.2 μm direct off the lathe. Tool marks visible but functionally clean surfaces.
Grinding
Post-turn cylindrical grinding to Ra 0.2–0.4 μm for bearing journals, sealing surfaces and precision fits.
Anodizing
Type II or Type III hard anodizing for turned aluminum parts. Excellent corrosion and wear resistance.
Electropolishing
Electrochemical smoothing for stainless steel turned parts. Ideal for FDA/medical applications.
Nickel Plating
Electroless nickel for uniform thickness on complex turned geometries. Excellent corrosion resistance.
Black Oxide
Conversion coating for steel turned parts — mild corrosion resistance, no dimensional change.
Passivation
Stainless steel chromium-oxide layer restoration after machining. ASTM A967 compliant.
Polishing
Manual or mass-media polishing to mirror Ra <0.1 μm for shaft surfaces and hydraulic components.
CNC Turning Design Guidelines
Following these guidelines helps you get accurate quotes and ensures your parts are manufacturable.
- L/D ratio below 10:1 for standard turning — slender parts beyond this ratio need steady rest support or Swiss-type machines.
- Internal bore diameter minimum 6 mm for standard boring bars. Smaller requires Swiss-type or gun drilling.
- Thread reliefs and undercuts add setup time — only specify where functionally necessary.
- Specify concentricity and runout as GD&T callouts on 2D drawing, not just dimensional tolerances in the model.
- Knurling, O-ring grooves and thread forms should be called out on the drawing with form standard (e.g. 60° Unified thread).
- Material selection matters for turning: free-machining grades (303 SS, C360 brass) cut faster and cheaper than work-hardening grades (316L, Ti).
CNC Turning Design Guidelines
Following these guidelines helps you get accurate quotes and ensures your parts are manufacturable.
Request CNC Turning QuoteIndustries Served
Our CNC turning capabilities serve demanding applications across six industries.
Related Services
CNC Milling
3-axis, 4-axis & 5-axis milling for prismatic parts, pockets, surfaces. ±0.001 mm.
5-Axis Machining
Single-setup complex geometry. Aerospace, medical and turbomachinery specialists.
Tolerance Guide
Full achievable tolerances, GD&T capabilities and design guidelines.
Ready to Turn Your Parts?
Upload your CAD files and get a detailed CNC turning quote within 24 hours. No minimum order quantity.
Need milling too? Shafts with keyways, valve stems with hex drives, threaded parts with milled flats — run the whole job through our combined milling- and-turning shop instead. Same factory, same engineer, one quote, no fixturing re-stack error.
See CNC Milling + Turning Services
