Turning centers and walking head lathes both belong to CNC machining equipment and are commonly used in the turning manufacturing of metal parts. Although there is an overlap in their functions, due to structural differences and different processing methods, it is a general consensus that turning centers cannot completely replace walking head lathes. Walking head lathes use a spindle moving structure, where the workpiece moves axially along with the spindle, and the cutting tool remains in a fixed position for processing. This processing method gives walking head lathes stability in the machining of long-axis and slender parts. Turning centers, on the other hand, follow the traditional tool post moving and fixed workpiece mode. When machining parts with a large length-to-diameter ratio, the workpiece is prone to deformation or vibration, which affects dimensional accuracy and surface quality. From the perspective of process flow, walking head lathes integrate functions such as automatic feeding, spindle shifting, and synchronous multi-process machining. They do not require frequent clamping and can complete multiple processes such as turning, drilling, and cutting in a single clamping, thus shortening the manufacturing process. Turning centers offer flexible process scheduling, but when it comes to small parts or slender products, they struggle to achieve multi-process integration.

In terms of application fields, walking-heart lathes are mostly used in industries such as medical equipment, electronic components, optical accessories, and precision shafts, to meet the batch production needs of slender parts or small-sized components. Turning centers are more suitable for large parts, complex surface contour machining, and multi-variety small-batch production scenarios. Some small-sized or specially structured parts can only be processed by walking-heart lathes, and turning centers have process limitations. The structural differences of the equipment determine that the two have their own focuses in processing range and process advantages. For the production of long-axis or small parts that pursue high stability and high consistency, walking-heart lathes still have irreplaceability. Turning centers have strong versatility, but they cannot completely replace the professional processing advantages of walking-heart lathes in specific fields.