Turning technology involves the production of rotationally symmetrical components that are used in a variety of industries. The Turning technique is one of the oldest manufacturing techniques in the world and was used as early as 300 BC. Used.
In turning technology, lathes are used to produce screws, threads and other components. Turning technology has developed into a decisive factor in several industries and supplies, among others, the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, medical technology and tool making with essential components.
Turning technology developed rapidly with the beginning of industrialization. CNC-controlled lathes are now used in turning technology, which enable high productivity with consistent quality and optimal cost-effectiveness.
On this page we explain what filming technology is and how it has developed throughout history.
What is turning technology?
Turning technology is one of the most important machining manufacturing processes in which turning is used to produce rotationally symmetrical turned parts.
According to DIN 8580, turning is a metal-cutting manufacturing process with a geometrically defined cutting edge. Turning is characterized by the rotating movement of the workpiece, which rotates around its own axis. The end product of turning is called a turned part. Common turned parts include shafts, axles, flanges, screws, nipples and other rotationally symmetrical components.
Turning works with a lathe that uses the main spindle to rotate the workpiece. Modern lathes have turret positions so that several rotating forming and piercing tools can be used within the machining process. The raw material for turning consists of bars made of brass, copper, stainless steel or other composite materials.
Turning technology is used to produce products that are used in almost all industries, including the automotive industry, the pharmaceutical industry, building technology, medical technology and energy supply.
The basic process of turning technology is turning. Turning as a manufacturing process offers many technical advantages. The most important advantages of turning technology are the high productivity, the high precision, the comparatively low costs and the diverse materials and are clearly presented in the following list.
- high productivity: The high productivity is a major advantage of turning technology. The use of modern CNC lathes enables the production of turned parts in large quantities.
- high precision: The high precision of the turning technology is achieved through computer-controlled machining, which enables precise tool guidance. With CNC lathes, exceptional quality with high repeat accuracy can be achieved in the manufacturing process.
- low costs: Turning technology enables economical production of rotationally symmetrical components using industrial lathes.
- Diverse materials: The turning process is characterized by the greatest flexibility in the choice of materials. A variety of materials are suitable for turning, including metals and non-ferrous metals such as brass, aluminum, copper, stainless steel and plastics.
Turning technology has developed into an important production factor. Nowadays, CNC lathes are used to produce turned parts in large quantities and of consistently high quality. The modern CNC lathe goes back to more than 3000 years of development.
How did filming develop?
Turning developed from drilling and was used as early as the first millennium BC. proven. The oldest documented depiction of a lathe dates back to 300 BC. The depiction of the lathe is an Egyptian grave relief. The beginnings of lathe technology date back to ancient Egypt, but it took over 1,500 years for the modern metal lathe to be invented.
The modern lathe was invented by Jacques de Vaucanson in 1751. Around 1800, Henry Maudslay invented the lead screw, which enabled standardized thread cutting and the mass production of screws and nuts. Maudslay used change gears for the feed to turn threads with different pitches. By the beginning of 1800, with Maudslay’s work, all of the essential components of the lathe had already been invented. In 1873, the first cam-controlled lathe was patented by Christopfer M. Spencer. The cam-controlled lathe allowed automated production of turned parts in larger quantities and laid the foundation for numerically controlled (NC) lathes.
The first numerically controlled machine tool was developed by John Parcon between 1949 and 1952 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1954, the Bendix company from the USA used Parcon’s technical principles and invented an NC machine. The NC machine worked with punch cards that took over the control of the machine.
In 1968, the level of automation of the lathe was further increased with IC technology. CNC technology was first used in 1976 with the use of microprocessors. The programs for CNC turning were written by hand until the 1990s. Since the late 1990s, programs for CNC turning have been generated directly from the CAD/CAM system.
November 17, 2025