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CNC Lathes
The CNC portion of a CNC lathe is a computerized numerically-controlled input and control system. Rather than having a human operator spin mechanical dials to operate the lathe, a computer program created in CAD, or computer-aided design, software tells the lathe what to do. CNC lathes are essentially a type of robotic lathe.
Spindle Axis and Track
Hand-operated or CNC-controlled lathes each have two parts that hold the material to be machined. These parts are called the headstock and the tailstock. The headstock generally provides the torque to spin the material to be machined. And the headstock is usually fixed in place. The tailstock is mounted on the same axis as the center of the headstock. Between the two is a track allowing the tailstock to slide closer or further from the headstock. This track facilitates one of many adjustments that can be made to the lathe.
Tailstock
While tailstocks and headstock have many adjustments, the tailstock is the piece that can be adjusted right and left along the track. It can be adjusted to accommodate long or short pieces of material. Typically, the tailstock is adjusted by turning a dial. The adjustment is a part of the setup. CNC machines have the option of using programmable headstocks, which are usually tow-along units.
Tow-Along Tailstock
A tow-along headstock is not just programmable, but can be moved by CNC input along the lathe's track. It is not unlike the carriage of a printer, with the ability to move in either direction. Tow-along tailstocks are unique to CNC lathes. Because the tow-along tailstock is both programmable and moveable, the tailstock which rides on the track is connected by wires which receive CNC data, in a similar way to plugging a trailer into a car.