CNC turning takes place on a machine tool called a lathe. The processing principle is that the workpiece is rotating and the tool is fixed. On this machine, the material can rotate, but the tool remains stationary. Usually, a chuck is used to fix the part on the rotating spindle. The chuck can be clamped with jaws or hydraulic devices to fix the part in place.

When the spindle rotates, the turret equipped with cutting tools moves toward the raw material and removes it as the material rotates to form the desired shape. The tools in the turret are very strong, and the turret rotates to change the tools that engage with the material. Since the part is rotating while the tool removes material, the final shape is some form of rotating profile.

The turned parts range from simple rings to complex curved parts: spheres, cones, cylinders, and other shapes, such as square or hexagon.