Rotary Tables — Advice for Beginners Using Them for the First Time

Rotary Tables — Advice for Beginners Using Them for the First Time

11 April 2023
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog


Rotary tables move workpieces around an axis, which can help with precision cutting and drilling. If you're using one as a beginner, you'll find the following tips helpful.

Find a Table You're Confident Using

There are many types of rotary tables you can use when fabricating different workpieces in a refined manner. It's important to find one that you can use confidently each time. Then you'll get the most out of this table and use it competently early on.

Rotary tables can vary in how big they are, the materials they're made of, and the type of rotation they can offer. Look at all these factors with a couple of different tables. Then you can compare the main features and know which table will suit your fabrication operations the best going forward. 

Clean Protective Coating Off First

If you just purchased a rotary table, it should have a protective coating on it. This was put on by the manufacturer to keep the table in a good condition. However, you'll need to remove it completely before you use this table the first time. This will help you get the best performance from the table as it rotates a workpiece around an axis for precision fabrication.

You can just get a microfiber towel and wipe this protective coating off every part of the table. The towel will be soft enough to not cause any type of structural damage, and it will also be very absorbent, which helps remove as much of the protective coating as possible.

Make Sure All Major Components Work Correctly

The last preliminary step you need to take before you start using a rotary table is checking to see if all major components work like they're supposed to. This quick assessment ensures this table can rotate properly with a workpiece secured to it.

Some components to test out in particular include the table's worm assembly lock screw, alignment blocks, and table locking clamp. If each one of these components is in good shape and operates just fine, you can proceed to use this table with extra confidence and safety.

A rotary table can help you do a lot of great things to workpieces thanks to its precision movement. You just need to study this table and learn key protocols before you work with this machinery for the first time. These precautions ultimately improve the type of fabrication you can have with the table. 

Contact a service such as Koma Precision for more information.