What is turning on a lathe primarily used for?

Turning on a lathe is primarily used to produce cylindrical parts by removing material from the exterior of a workpiece. This process involves rotating the workpiece against a cutting tool that shapes it into various forms, such as cylinders, cones, or other geometrical profiles. The lathe's design allows for precise control of the cutting tool's movement, enabling the creation of parts with smooth finishes and accurate dimensions. The ability to shape and form materials into cylindrical objects is fundamental in manufacturing processes, making turning an essential operation in various machining applications.

Other options focus on different machining processes. The creation of flat surfaces is typically associated with milling rather than turning. Drilling holes within a workpiece is a function performed by drill presses or similar machines rather than lathes. Grinding, which involves reducing materials to fine powders, is a different operation usually done on a grinding machine. Each of these processes serves a unique purpose in machining, but turning specifically excels at shaping cylindrical components.