CNC turning is performed on a lathe machine. CNC lathe machines rotate a workpiece while a stationary blade moves around it making cuts in the appropriate spots. The blade is moved attached to a mobile robotic arm that moves with an extreme level of accuracy. Due to the spinning action of the workpiece, this type of machine is ideal for machining roughly cylindrical shaped objects. 

All variants are powered by the same basic premise: a block of material—also known as a workpiece—is rotated at high speed while a blade is pressed against it to shave off excess material and form the desired shape. 

On modern CNC-powered lathe models, the blade is held by a high-tech robotic arm that moves on up to seven axes and removes material based on detailed computer models. Older models require varying levels of hand guidance to create the correct shape, with the oldest models requiring the most manual effort.