Why round parts, tight tolerances, and critical fits all start on a lathe.
If mills are about shaping metal from the outside in, lathes are about perfect balance. Instead of the tool doing all the moving, the part itself spins, sometimes slowly and deliberately, sometimes at thousands of RPMs, while material is removed with remarkable control.
At General Machine, lathes are essential to the work we do. Any time a part needs to be round, concentric, or perfectly aligned along a centerline, the lathe is where precision begins.
What a Lathe Actually Does
A lathe machines parts by rotating the workpiece while a cutting tool removes material. That simple idea unlocks a huge range of capabilities:
- Turning diameters and shoulders
- Facing and squaring ends
- Boring internal diameters
- Cutting grooves and threads
- Holding extremely tight concentricity and runout
Because the part rotates around its own centerline, lathes excel at symmetry. If a component needs to spin, seal, slide, or align perfectly with another part, a lathe is almost always involved.
The Types of Parts We Run on Our Lathes
If it’s round, or needs to be, it likely belongs on a lathe.
Common lathe work at General Machine includes:
| Part Type | Why It Belongs on a Lathe | Typical Customer |
| Shafts & pins | Perfect concentricity and straightness | Heavy equipment, automation |
| Bushings & sleeves | Precise internal and external diameters | MRO, industrial equipment |
| Hubs & couplings | Tight fits and controlled tolerances | Power transmission |
| Threaded components | Accurate, repeatable threads | Energy, hydraulics |
| Bearing journals & spacers | Smooth finishes + exact sizing | OEMs & maintenance teams |
Lathes are where tolerances live. A few thousandths, or even tenths, can be the difference between smooth operation and premature failure.
Who We Do It For
Lathe work supports nearly every industry we serve, including:
- Energy & Power Generation
- Heavy Equipment & Construction
- Material Handling
- Automation & Robotics
- Agriculture
- Maintenance & Repair Operations (MRO)
- Other machine shops needing turning capacity
These customers rely on parts that must fit, spin, and last, often under load, heat, vibration, or constant motion.
Why Use a Lathe Instead of a Mill?
While some round features can be machined on a mill, lathes are purpose-built for rotational precision.
-
Superior Concentricity & Roundness
Because the part rotates around a fixed axis, lathes naturally produce:
- Better roundness
- More consistent diameters
- Tighter runout control
This matters for bearings, seals, shafts, and mating components.
-
Better Surface Finishes
Lathe turning produces smooth, uniform finishes—critical for:
- Sliding surfaces
- Sealing faces
- Press-fit and slip-fit components
-
Efficient Material Removal on Round Parts
For cylindrical geometry, lathes are faster and more economical than milling.
-
Threading Without Compromise
Single-point threading on a lathe delivers precision and repeatability that’s difficult to match elsewhere, especially for custom or non-standard threads.
Why Customers Trust General Machine for Turning Work
Turning work demands discipline, attention to detail, and experience—there’s nowhere to hide errors when everything spins around a centerline.
Our customers trust us because:
- We hold tight tolerances on diameters, bores, and concentric features.
- We understand fits—press, slip, interference, and everything in between.
- Our operators know how materials behave under rotation, cutting forces, and heat.
- We seamlessly integrate turning and milling when parts require both.
- We handle everything from one-offs to repeat work with the same level of care.
Lathes don’t forgive shortcuts—and neither do we.
Let’s Bring it Home
Lathes are the backbone of rotational precision. From shafts and bushings to hubs, threads, and bearing surfaces, they create the components that keep machinery moving smoothly and reliably.
When parts need to spin true, align perfectly, and hold tolerance under real-world conditions, the lathe is where the work begins.
If your equipment depends on round, concentric, high-precision components, a lathe is almost certainly behind the scenes making it happen.