Cut Turning Cycle Time by Feeding in Both Directions

In conventional turning, you feed toward the chuck in the Z axis. With a new process, however, you can feed in either direction in turning, facing and shoulder-cutting operations. The results are astonishing. Some operations can be performed in a small fraction of the time required in conventional turning, and with a better surface finish as well.

The process, PrimeTurning, was developed by Sandvik Coromant. It uses a small-lead-angle turning tool, which enables much more aggressive cutting. Plus, the ability to feed away from shoulders eliminates the chip-jamming problem common with conventional turning. For some operations, you can literally feed back and forth with the tool virtually never leaving the cut. That’s a huge time-saver, particularly in roughing operations requiring multiple passes to get down to the required OD.

Several videos on PrimeTurning demonstrate how the process works. In the right applications, it can result in cycle time reductions of 50 percent or more.