Haas Automation, Inc.
Anatomy of a Turning Center
The concept of a machine that can provide multiple axes of movement for cutting metal and other materials has changed very little since the dawn of the industrial revolution. These simple, basic tools, however, have benefited substantially from the application of computer technology. The modern Turning Center uses CNC (computer numerical control) to coordinate both simple and unbelievably complex movements of those axes. While electronic servomotors can provide axis movements in the tenths of a thousandth of an inch, the amazing performance of these machines is the result of high-precision positioning encoders, high-performance axis drives, and the powerful computer control that coordinates the axis movements and is able to repeat them precisely. Using a computer language called G-code, machining programs can be developed and tested offline, and then transferred to the machine and run with minimal human interaction.
Anatomy of a Turning Center
The concept of a machine that can provide multiple axes of movement for cutting metal and other materials has changed very little since the dawn of the industrial revolution. These simple, basic tools, however, have benefited substantially from the application of computer technology. The modern Turning Center uses CNC (computer numerical control) to coordinate both simple and unbelievably complex movements of those axes. While electronic servomotors can provide axis movements in the tenths of a thousandth of an inch, the amazing performance of these machines is the result of high-precision positioning encoders, high-performance axis drives, and the powerful computer control that coordinates the axis movements and is able to repeat them precisely. Using a computer language called G-code, machining programs can be developed and tested offline, and then transferred to the machine and run with minimal human interaction.