Scale your production with CNC Lathe Machining in Birmingham, AL, a solution that combines precision and workflow efficiency for real-world manufacturing. Roberson Machine Company helps companies reduce downtime, scrap, and tooling bottlenecks through processes built for repeatable results. Contact us online or call 573-646-3996 to learn more about Birmingham, AL, CNC lathe machining and begin your next run.
Learn more about:
- How CNC lathes play a role in production-ready components
- How turning and multi-axis machining combine in a single workflow
- Our Doosan Puma TT1800SY multi-turret, multi-spindle platform
- Industries and applications that use turned features at scale
- Examples of real components produced for volume runs
- How to begin a CNC turning or multi-axis machining project with our team
Roberson Machine Company offers machining technology, process experience, and production capacity that keep long-term runs with reliable quality and controlled unit cost.
Table of Contents
- The Importance of Lathe Machining in the CNC Production Process
- CNC Lathe Operations & Multi-Axis Machining
- Industries & Applications Supported by CNC Lathe Machining in Birmingham, AL
- Doosan Puma TT1800SY: Multi-Turret, Multi-Spindle Lathe for High-Throughput Production
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Us for CNC Lathe Machining in Birmingham, AL?
Explore our reviews, recent case studies, the blog, and FAQs for real machining examples and production insight. For over two decades, we’ve supported companies with Birmingham, AL, CNC lathe machining and multi-axis machining that turn drawings into consistent, production-ready components.
The Importance of Lathe Machining in the CNC Production Process
CNC machining drives today’s manufacturing, and CNC lathes anchor the process by producing rotational components with consistent geometry and controlled surfaces. Once tools, offsets, feeds, and inspection steps are dialed in, CNC turning maintains the diameters, bores, threads, and sealing surfaces needed for downstream CNC milling and assembly.
With bar feeding, live tooling, and multi-spindle layouts, modern CNC lathes cut, drill, tap, and finish in one setup—reducing handoffs, minimizing variation, and keeping production on schedule.
Birmingham, AL, CNC Lathe Operations & Multi-Axis Machining
Turning and milling operate hand-in-hand in multi-axis machining. The lathe handles core geometry—accurate diameters, concentric relationships, and functional surfaces—while milling creates pockets, flats, slots, and 3D features impossible on a spindle-driven platform alone. This workflow holds features in alignment, reduces secondary setups, and helps lower manufacturing downtime.
We run CNC cut metals, alloys, stainless steels, aluminum, titanium, and production-grade polymers. Horizontal turning centers paired with bar feeders, live tooling, and multi-axis capability let us finish many parts in one setup and maintain accuracy from first article to final release.
- Hard turning: Refined tool paths built for hardened steels and final finishing.
- Long turning capacity: Horizontal turning up to 48″ when geometry allows.
- Live-tool capability: Drilling, tapping, and milling done in one continuous setup.
- Short, predictable lead times: Stable, automated workflows that support reliable lead times.
CNC lathe machining in Birmingham, AL, is still a top-tier, versatile CNC machining method for work that requires accuracy, concentricity, and strong production efficiency.
Industries & Applications Supported by Birmingham, AL, CNC Lathe Machining
CNC lathe machining plays a key role in production for medical, aerospace, automation, and high-throughput industrial environments. These industries depend on accurate diameters, bores, threads, and stable concentric features—plus examples of components we’ve produced at volume.
- Medical & Pharmaceutical Production: Precision valve bodies, microscope components, acrylic instrument parts, plus various small-scale turned assemblies.
- Industrial Automation & Robotics: Cylindrical tooling, bushings, guides, and end-of-arm tooling crafted for predictable repeatability.
- Aerospace: Housings, couplings, sleeves, and other concentric components that rely on stable finishes and confirmed geometry.
- Military & Defense: Threaded hardware, sleeves, connectors, and precision-machined rotary components produced for high-performance defense environments.
- Automotive & EV: Shafts, pins, bushings, and drive shaft components run at volume with controlled dimensions.
- Food & Beverage: Stainless rollers, spindle components, and sanitary turned parts built for washdown environments.
- Packaging & Production Lines: Ink rollers, guide shafts, and other cylindrical tooling used in continuous, production-line equipment.
- Energy & Power Generation: Valve components, manifolds, and turned parts made to tolerate pressure, wear, and tough service cycles.
Across these industries in Birmingham, AL, CNC lathe machining keeps dimensional relationships, surface quality, and unit cost consistent from run to run. If you’re planning new releases or scaling an existing project, our team can review drawings, map the process, and outline a practical production path. Learn more about our team, reach out online, or call 573-646-3996 to discuss your next project.
Doosan Puma TT1800SY: Multi-Turret, Multi-Spindle Lathe for High-Throughput Production
To expand its turning capacity, Roberson Machine Company now runs the Doosan Puma TT1800SY — a multi-turret, multi-spindle turning center built for precise, high-throughput machining. The machine combines roughing, finishing, drilling, tapping, and milling into a single cycle to keep features aligned and minimize handling.
Main–sub spindle transfer, parallel cutting, and bar-fed workflows give it an advantage on two-sided or multi-op parts that need accurate relationships across operations. The layout backs high-throughput machining while keeping cycle times predictable and steady.
Key Specifications & Capabilities
This spec set outlines TT1800SY features that influence real production workflows—spindle speed and torque, bar capacity, travel envelopes, and the live-tooling and handoff systems that cut setup count and steady cycle times.
TT1800SY Technical Overview
| Category | Specification | Value | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Swing Over Bed | 9.1″ | Envelope for small to mid-sized turned components. |
| Recommended Turning Diameter | 8.3″ | Sweet spot for production work on this platform. | |
| Max. Turning Diameter (Upper / Lower) | 9.1″ / 9.1″ | Handles symmetrical turning on both turrets. | |
| Bar Working Diameter | 2.6″ | Supports steady bar-fed production for many shaft-style parts. | |
| Axis Travels | X-Axis Rapid Traverse | 787 IPM | Reduces non-cutting time between features. |
| Z-Axis Rapid Traverse | 1,575 IPM | Keeps cycle times down on longer parts. | |
| X1 / X2 Travel | 6.5″ / 7.5″ | Room for twin-turret work on complex parts. | |
| Y-Axis Travel | 3.9″ | Enables off-center milling and drilling operations. | |
| Z1 / Z2 / A Travel | 27.6″ / 28.4″ / 30.3″ | Supports front- and back-working on longer components. | |
| Spindles | Main Spindle Speed | 5,000 RPM | Good balance of metal removal and finish capability. |
| Main Spindle Power / Torque | 29 HP · 154 ft-lbs | Supports heavy cuts while maintaining surface quality. | |
| Sub Spindle | 5,000 RPM · 29 HP | Full-power back-working and accurate part handoff. | |
| Turret & Live Tooling | Tool Stations | 12 stations per turret | Plenty of room for turning, drilling, and milling tools. |
| Turret Index Time | 0.15 sec | Fast indexing keeps chips flowing. | |
| Max Rotary Tool Speed | 5,000 RPM (7.5 / 1.5 HP motor) | Handles most drilling, tapping, and light milling work at the spindle. | |
| Footprint | L × W × H | 154″ × 89″ × 82″ | Compact floor space for a full twin-spindle, twin-turret lathe. |
| Machine Weight | ≈ 19,400 lbs | Mass and rigidity for stable cutting and better finishes. |
This configuration enables one-and-done machining for small to mid-sized components, holding concentricity, clean shoulder transitions, sealing surfaces, and multi-op geometry on every run.
What the Puma TT1800SY Unlocks for Birmingham, AL, CNC Lathe Machining & Production
In production settings, the TT1800SY raises efficiency by tightening geometric control and eliminating setup transitions that can add cost and variation. Key advantages include:
- Shorter part flow: Rolls several setups into one continuous cycle.
- Cleaner feature relationships: Maintains diameters, bores, and milled geometry on a unified centerline.
- Better performance on two-sided parts: Accurate spindle handoff cuts variation on mirrored and back-worked features.
- Fewer fixtures and handling steps: Lowers stack-up error and minimizes opportunities for dimensional drift.
- More predictable scheduling: Steady cycle times improve release forecasting and tooling-life planning.
- Efficient volume scaling: Bar-fed throughput and balanced cutting stabilize output during extended production runs.
Whether you’re producing shafts, bushings, housings, sleeves, couplings, or multi-op turned/milled components, the Puma TT1800SY supports fast transitions from prototype to production with consistent, repeatable output, making it a cornerstone of Birmingham, AL, CNC lathe machining.
Need to validate a part on the new system? Contact us online or call 573-646-3996 to see how the Puma TT1800SY can strengthen your workflow and help reduce production delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re preparing CNC lathe workflows, the big questions often relate to part fit, lead time, and how turning integrates with your overall build. These FAQs highlight what matters when transitioning from prototypes or limited runs into production-grade CNC lathe machining in Birmingham, AL.
What types of parts are a good fit for CNC lathe machining in Birmingham, AL?
CNC lathes excel when parts are rotationally symmetric and depend on consistent diameters and concentricity. Typical candidates include:
- Shafts, pins, and bushings
- Housings, sleeves, and couplings
- Valve bodies and manifolds with critical sealing surfaces
- Rollers and cylindrical tooling for automation and packaging
- Turned parts that also need milled flats, slots, or drilled features
When these parts repeat at volume and depend on consistent diameters, shoulders, and threads, CNC lathe machining often becomes the backbone of the process.
How does a multi-turret, multi-spindle lathe change production compared to a standard lathe?
Multi-turret, multi-spindle equipment lets us complete more work in a single cycle instead of spreading operations across several machines and setups. That means:
- Front- and back-working (two-sided parts) completed in one continuous process
- Roughing and finishing handled in parallel rather than in separate runs
- Fewer fixtures and handling steps, which lowers stack-up error
- More stable cycle times as volumes increase
For workpieces that usually pass through several handoffs, the Puma TT1800SY simplifies production into a one-and-done process.
What do you need to quote a CNC lathe machining project?
Clear engineering intent helps generate accurate quotes and smooth production flow. Helpful inputs include:
- Current drawings with tolerances and any critical feature callouts
- Material and finish requirements
- Target quantities (per release and annual volume)
- Expected delivery cadence or release schedule
- Any inspection, documentation, or packaging requirements
If some details are still in flux, we can often work from provisional prints and help refine the package before locking in production pricing.
What tends to drive cost on CNC lathe machined parts in Birmingham, AL?
Piece price on turned parts usually reflects a mix of setup effort, cycle time, and material. Common cost drivers include:
- Complex workholding or multiple setups that could be consolidated
- Very tight tolerances or surface finish requirements on multiple features
- Challenging materials (hard alloys, difficult chip control, or long overhangs)
- Heavy interruption from milling, cross-holes, or deep drilling operations
- Small lot sizes that repeat tooling and setup time too often
Early discussions about tolerances, material, and functional requirements often reveal ways to keep cost and lead time in a manageable range.
How do you maintain repeatability across large lots and repeat releases?
Repeatability comes from locking the process, not only the first run. Typical controls include:
- Standardized fixturing and workholding for the entire workflow
- Documented tool lists, offsets, and tool life management
- In-process checks on critical diameters, bores, and threads
- Final inspection routines tied to print requirements
- Lot records that tie parts, dates, and inspection data together
When a lathe workflow proves out, those controls keep dimensions consistent from the first article across every following release.
When should Birmingham, AL, CNC lathe work be combined with milling or other processes?
Many parts perform best when turning establishes the core geometry and other processes add the remaining features. That often looks like:
- Lathe operations setting diameters, shoulders, and critical bores
- Live-tool work or downstream milling adding flats, keyways, pockets, or patterns
- Secondary processes (EDM, grinding, or honing) reserved for features that truly need them
Talking through the full print and functional requirements up front makes it easier to decide what should live on the lathe and what belongs in another process.
Why Choose Us for Birmingham, AL, CNC Lathe Machining?
Roberson Machine Company brings the process control, equipment, and production experience essential for reliable, repeatable CNC lathe machining in Birmingham, AL. We support long-term production schedules using stable workflows and tooling strategies built to keep releases on schedule.
- Turning processes built to maintain the diameters, bores, threads, and sealing features essential to your assemblies
- Fast, single-setup machining supported by bar feeding, live tooling, and multi-spindle capability
- Dimensional consistency from the first article through repeat releases
- Material flexibility in stainless, aluminum, alloys, titanium, and production-grade polymers
- Workflows structured to reduce scrap, tooling delays, and downstream variation for more predictable scheduling
Our core services include:
- Custom CNC Machining for Part Production
- CNC Machine Automation
- Oil and Gas Precision Machining
- Aerospace Manufacturing
- Automotive Part Manufacturing
- EDM Machining
- High Volume CNC Machining
- Industrial Automation
- Solar Panel Manufacturers
Roberson Machine Company helps drive new releases, scaled production, and long-term CNC lathe machining workflows. Learn more via our team and capabilities, request a quote online, or call 573-646-3996 to discuss the benefits and opportunities that come with Birmingham, AL, CNC Lathe Machining.