What Is a Boring Mill?

A boring mill (horizontal/vertical) is designed for large and heavy workpieces requiring precise internal diameter enlargement (boring), facing, extensive surface machining, and hole alignment. Its table/column design lets you machine housings and frames in a single setup, maintaining positional accuracy among multiple holes.

What Is a Lathe?

A lathe rotates the workpiece while the cutting tool advances. It is ideal for OD/ID turning, grooving, threading, and taper turning on cylindrical parts. CNC turning enables multi-step operations with excellent repeatability.

What Is a Milling Machine?

A milling machine (machining center) uses rotating tools to perform facing, slotting/pocketing, profiling, and 3D surfacing. 3–5 axis CNC mills deliver high accuracy on complex geometries in a single setup.

Comparison: Which Machine Fits Which Job?

• Large housings, long bores, aligned hole sets: Choose a boring mill.
• Rotational parts, shafts, bushings, threading: Choose a lathe.
• Flat faces, pockets/slots, 3D contours: Choose a milling machine or machining center.
• Many faces in one setup: Go with a machining center (pallet/5-axis). For oversized parts, use a boring mill.

Tolerance, Ra & Inspection

We apply relevant ISO fit classes (e.g., H7/g6) as required. Surface finish targets are defined in terms of Ra. After roughing, finishing passes and, when necessary, grinding help achieve the spec. Inspection uses calipers, micrometers, indicators, gauges, surface testers, and CMM when needed.

Cost Drivers

• Size and fixturing: Large parts may require a boring mill and custom fixtures.
• Geometry & tolerances: Tight specs and low Ra increase cycle time.
• Material: Hard/stainless alloys affect tool life and feeds/speeds.
• Operation count: Multi-setup jobs add processes and cost.
• Quantity & lead time: Unit cost differs between prototype and series.

Sample Parts & Operations

• Boring Mill: Machine frames, reducer housings, large flanges, aligned hole groups.
• Lathe: Shafts, bushes, pins, bore finishing, external/internal threading.
• Mill: Plate facing, slots/pockets, stepped faces, 3D mold surfaces.

Explore our services and references, or contact us with your drawings.

FAQ

What’s the fundamental difference among boring mill, lathe, and mill?

Boring mills target large bodies with aligned holes and wide faces; lathes excel on rotational parts; mills handle flats, pockets, and complex 3D surfaces.

How tight are your tolerances?

Depending on geometry and verification method, we work to micron-level tolerances. Targets are stated explicitly in our quotes.

Can you machine oversized parts in one setup?

Yes. With the right boring mill and fixturing, multi-face operations are possible in a single setup.