How to Set Up a CNC Lathe to Turn a Spherical Surface
Print this articleInstructions
1
Set the material in the chuck for cutting. Lathes use a spinning chuck and a tool block to cut spherical shapes such as door knobs. Set the chuck jaws to accommodate the raw material so that it is tight, but open enough to easily place and remove the material when the cutting process starts and ends.
2
Place the proper cutting tools in the tool turret. In order to turn a spherical part, you will need a roughing and finishing tool block with a replaceable insert. The raw material you use will dictate the type of insert you will need for this cutting process. Coated inserts are always good for metals of all kinds, including aluminum and steel.
Teach the tips of the tools you use with the teaching probe on the tool information page to get accurate cuts. Remove the raw material. Place the CNC lathe in teaching mode and press the teach button to drop the probe into place. Manually move the tool close to the probe and press the "Teach" button. The machine will slowly bring it to the probe and it should beep to signify that it is complete. Move the tool away from the probe and bring it back up out of the way.
4
Designate the type of tool, its size and the spindle orientation needed for the tool on the tool information page. Each tool in the turret has a number. Set this information in the corresponding line on the tool information page. The chuck direction is very important. If it is set incorrectly, you can damage your material as well as your tool block, both of which can be very expensive.
5
Enter the program to turn the spherical surface. Program this operation at the machine or load a pre-written program for this operation. Set the machine in automatic mode and slowly allow the first tool to come to the raw material. Always use the first cutting cycle to proof the program to make sure there are no mistakes that can cause catastrophic damage to the machine
