Why Manual Mills Still Matter in a CNC-Driven Industry

What powered the Industrial Revolution? Machine tools. Lathes and mills were equipped with steam power, and from that came the factories and production facilities that pushed economies to new heights.

In today’s manufacturing, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology fills a similar role. CNC-equipped machine tools are capable of incredibly precise operations, producing parts of higher quality and greater accuracy than ever before.

In a CNC world, is there any role for manually-operated machine tools? Many older and more experienced machinists began with manual machines – electrically-powered, but without the computerized control systems of CNC. Is there a continuing place for those older machines? Or should every new machinist learn on CNC machines and never look back?

CNC machines aren’t going to go away – they are the present and future of modern manufacturing. At the same time, there are at least three ways in which manually-operated machine tools can still play a role in machine shops and manufacturing floors around the country today.

Training is essential

Learn manual, go digital. CNC technology is fantastic, and mastering it teaches certain invaluable skills. G-code programming, CAD design, order of operations – all of these principles play a major role in CNC operation. But when it comes to the basics of machining, CNC can sometimes be a shortcut. Beginner machinists who start with manual machine tools are forced to learn all the basic principles of machining. They also gain a more practical understanding of how the machining process itself affects the workpiece. Seeing first-hand the effects of chatter, vibrations, and the chips removed from the workpiece give a new machinist a far better understanding of what actually takes place in the machining process. 

Starting with a manual lathe allows machinists to progress naturally. By controlling the mill manually, machinists learn the geometry of cuts on a mill or lathe, the natural progress of cuts, how to set up a workpiece – in essence, the entire workflow of a milling operation. Once those basics have been mastered, machinists can learn more advanced CNC techniques and actually improve their overall skill set.

Have a plan B

Manual mills still have a place in the modern machine shop, even if as nothing more than backup. CNC milling machines are highly complex machine tools. And like all complex machines, they run the risk of failure and breakdown. A CNC failure doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire machine is out of commission; many CNC machine tools will have a fully-manual option, allowing operators to rely on simpler control methods in the event of a CNC failure.

If the mill has a manual backup, operators will need to be well-versed in manual control in order to complete any jobs in progress. Larger machine shops may want to keep a complete set of commonly-used manual machine tools, such as a mill, lathe, and grinder.

Whatever the configuration, manual machines reduce a shop’s reliance on CNC, providing a reliable backup in case of failure – providing there are trained manual machinists available.

Quick and easy jobs

To perform an average job on a CNC mill, an operator must first program the cutting operation into the machine. While that step takes time, the actual cutting operation is automatic. For larger or repeated operations, CNC milling machines can save hundreds of hours over manual machines.

The opposite can be the case for shorter jobs. For simple jobs or one-off operations, manual mills can actually be quicker. There’s no need to program the machine – just turn it on, mount the workpiece, and start the operation.

This is especially true for skilled and experienced machinists, or machinists with limited CNC programming experience. The longer it takes to program the milling operation, the more time might be saved by doing it manually. 

One great example is prototyping. For complicated parts that will only be created once, creating a detailed CNC program in g-code might take hours. In contrast, a skilled machinist would know the natural order of cuts and be able to craft the part more quickly on a manual mill.

Conclusion

Modern machine shops won’t be getting rid of their CNC milling machines anytime soon. But despite the general CNC reliance, there’s still room for manually operated mills and lathes.