CNC Metal Spinning

CNC Metal Spinning

Today, nearly all metal spun products for the cookware, marine, lighting, aerospace, food and beverage, filtration, medical, pharmaceutical and military industries are made by CNC metal spinners. Items with a high degree of detail and complex designs are more easily made with a high degree of accuracy when the spinner’s movements are controlled by computers. They are able to produce any hollow item that has thin walls and a round profile, like cookware bowls and pots, tank heads, nozzles, pressure vessels and cyclones. They may be tubular, cylindrical, bell shaped or spherical, have an opening on one side or both and have the option of additional decorative features that are too complex for hand spinning.

The dimensions and design of the desired metal part are first uploaded to a computer system. The automated metal spinning machine then follows the pre-set sequence of operations given by the computer system that has one or more microprocessors or storage units. CAD/CAM software systems instruct the rollers to execute exact movements along a pre-set path, forming the flat preform blank into a finished product. Although CNC machines are fully automated, hand spinning is often required during the development stages of the product and is therefore still quite widely used. Other than loading and unloading the metal spinning machine, little attention or labor is required from workers, thus reducing labor costs significantly. CNC metal spinning is an economic manufacturing process, but it also requires frequent maintenance, which contributes to operational costs. If an automated metal spinning operation is run well, though, the combination of low accident rates, accurate production and reduced labor costs can make CNC metal spinning much more profitable than manual spinning operations. Since automated metal spinning is able to form harder metals, the machine’s components are often made of carbide or tool steel and are rotated to increase their lifespan.