Turning, also known as lathe machining, is a fundamental manufacturing process. It primarily uses a cutting tool to remove material from a rotating workpiece, shaping it to the desired form.

Beyond basic shaping, a variety of tools can be employed on a lathe to perform multiple operations. These include drilling with drill bits, reaming with reamers, boring with boring tools, and threading with taps, dies, and knurling tools.

Lathes are exceptionally versatile and are most commonly used for machining parts with rotational symmetry. Typical applications involve producing shafts, disks, sleeves (bushings), and other components with cylindrical or conical surfaces. As one of the most widespread and essential machine tools, turning is indispensable in machine building, manufacturing, and repair workshops across countless industries.