The Cycle Time and Cutting Parameters of the Turning Process

08 August 2022

To effectively produce metal parts and products, manufacturers often turn to a wide array of machining processes. One machining process that is popular among them is turning.

Turning is a machining process that cuts away unwanted materials from workpieces. The parts and products produced by this process are often used as rotational components of machines, tools, and other similar things. This process is carried out by utilising a turning machine or lathe, fixture, cutting tool, and the workpiece itself.

Parts and components generated by turning boast features like holes, threads, tapers, grooves, diameter steps, and contoured surfaces. Through this process, manufacturers can craft prototypes as well as enhance the features of final or prefabricated parts.

The Cycle Time of Turning

The duration of the turning process would generally consist of the initial setup time and the cycle time. The initial setup time includes the time to configure and set up the turning machine, develop the plans for the movement of the tools, and install the fixture tool or device in the machine. As for the cycle time, it is normally divided into the following.

• Load Time: The load time is the total time needed to load the workpiece or material into the turning machine. It also includes the duration needed to secure it to the fixture and unload the finished product. This specific portion of the cycle time hugely depends on the workpiece’s weight, size, and complexity as well as the fixture type.
• Cut Time: Cut time, alternatively, is the time necessary for the tool to process the workpiece. The cut time of a specific operation can be calculated by dividing the total cut length for the said operation by the feed rate. The feed rate is a variable that describes the tool’s speed relative to the workpiece.
• Idle Time: Idle time is another part of cycle time. This portion of the cycle time deals with the tasks that do not engage the workpiece. This specific time includes the tool approaching and retracting from the workpiece, movement of tools between features, adjustments of the machine settings, and tool changes.
• Tool Replacement Time: Tool replacement time, ultimately, is the period wherein a tool must be replaced as it has already worn out and exceeded its service life. Not all cycle time includes this specific time. Hence, it is often adjusted for single part production by multiplying the frequency of a tool replacement, which is the cut time over the tool lifetime.

Most turning process cycle does not require any post processes. Secondary processes, however, may be conducted to enhance a part’s surface finish.

Main Cutting Parameters

Various cutting parameters must be considered for each turning operation. These parameters are picked based on the workpiece material, tool material, tool size, and many more.

Cutting feed, for instance, is the distance that a cutting tool or workpiece advances and moves during one spindle revolution. Cutting speed, alternatively, is the speed of the workpiece surface relative to the cutting tool edge during the cutting process. The spindle speed is then equated to the cutting speed divided by the workpiece’s circumference where the cut will be conducted.

Other cutting parameters under turning are feed rate, axial cut depth, and radial cut depth. To know more about turning, you can contact us at Kinetic Engineering.

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