Turning is a engineering machining process in which a cutting tool moves in a linear direction while the work piece rotates. The tool’s axes of movement may be literally a straight line, or they may be along some set of curves or angles, but they are essentially linear.
Turning can be done manually, in a traditional form of lathe, which frequently requires continuous supervision by the operator. When turning, a piece of material is rotated and a cutting tool is traversed along 1, 2, or 3 axes of motion to produce precise diameters and depths. Turning can be either on the outside of the cylinder or on the inside to produce tubular components to various geometries.
The turning processes are typically carried out on a lathe and can be of four different types such as straight turning, taper turning, profiling or external grooving.