LATHE

MACHIN
E

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INTRODUCTION
A lathe is a machine tool that holds a workpiece between two rigid and strong supports
called a center, or on a rotating chuck or face plate. The cutting tool is firmly held and supported
by the tool holder that is held against the rotating workpiece. Normal cutting is performed by
feeding a cutting tool parallel to or perpendicular to the axis of the workpiece.

A lathe is a machine that removes metal from a workpiece to the required

shape and size. Lathes are one of the most important machine tools in the
metalworking industry.
The lathe operates on the principle of a rotating workpiece and a stationary
cutting tool.
A cutting tool is inserted into the workpiece and the workpiece rotates about
its axis, forming the workpiece into the desired shape.
The lathe is also known as the "mother / father of the entire tool family."

Function of lathe
Lathe is to remove excess material in the form of chips by rotating the workpiece
against a stationary cutting tool

Industrial revolution demanded

More production
More Precision
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 Changes in Manufacturing process
Lead to the Development of High speed
Special purpose lathes
Types of lathes:
The fundamental principle of operation of all lathes is the same and performs the same function,
yet they are classified according to the design, type of drive, the arrangement of gears, and
purpose. The following are important types of lathes.

1. Engine or Center lathe:

It is a general-purpose lathe and is widely used in workshops.
The main parts of engine lathe are the bed, headstock, tailstock, carriage, lead screw, and
feed change gearbox.
It differs from a speed lathe that it has an additional mechanism for controlling the
spindle speed and for supporting and controlling the feed of fixed cutting tool.
The cutting tool may be fed both in cross and longitudinal direction concerning the lathe
axis with the help of a carriage.

The engine lathe, depending upon the design of the headstock for receiving power,
may be classified as belt-driven lathe, motor-driven lathe, and geared head lathe.

2. Bench Lathe:
The bench lathe is so small that it can be mounted on a bench.

All the types of operation can be performed on this lathe that may be done on an
ordinary speed or engine lathe.

This is used for small work usually requiring considerable accuracy such as in the
production of gauges, punches, and beds for press tools.

3. Tracer Lathe:
A lathe that can follow a template to copy a shape or contour.

4. Automatic Lathe:

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 The lathe in which the workpiece is automatically fed and removed without the use of
an operator. Cutting operations are automatically controlled by a sequencer of some
form.
The automatic lathes are so designed that the tools are automatically fed to the work
and withdrawn after all the operations are completed to finish the work. Since the
entire operation is automatic, these lathes require little attention from the operator.
These lathes are used for mass production of identical parts.

5. Capstan and turret lathe:

The lathes which have multiple tools mounted on turret either attached to the tailstock
or the cross-slide, which allows for quick changes in tooling and cutting operations.
The capstan and turret lathes are the modification of engine lathe and is particularly
used for mass production of identical parts in a minimum time.
These lathes are semiautomatic and are fitted with multi-tool holding devices, called
capstan and turret heads.
The advantage of capstan and turret lathe is that several different types of operation
can be performed on a workpiece without resetting of the work or tools.

4. Tool room lathe:

The tool room lathe is like an engine lathe and is equipped with all the accessories
needed for accurate tool work.
It has an individually driven-geared headstock with a wide range of spindle speeds.
Since this lathe is used for precision work on tools, gauges, dies, jigs, and other small
parts, therefore greater skill is needed to operate the lathe.

5. Speed lathe:
1. It is driven by power and consists of a bed, a headstock, a tailstock, and an adjustable
slide for supporting the tool.
2. It has no gearbox, lead Screw, and Carriage. Headstock may have a step-cone pulley
arrangement or may be equipped with a Variable Speed Motor.
3. Various speeds are obtained by Cone pulley. Since the tool is fed into the work by
hand and cuts are very small, therefore this type of lathe is driven at high speeds
usually from 1200 to 3600 rpm.
4. Usage: It is mainly used for woodworking, centering, metal spinning, polishing, etc.

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6. Computer Controlled Lathe:
Highly automated lathes, where cutting, loading, tool changing, and part unloading are
automatically controlled by computer coding.

Lathe Machine Parts

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1. Bed:

The bed is a heavy, rugged casting and it carries the headstock and tailstock for supporting the
workpiece and provides a base for the movement of the carriage assembly, which carries the
tool.

2. Headstock:

The headstock is provided on the left-hand side of the bed and it serves as housing for the driving
pulleys, back gears, headstock spindle, live center, and the feed reverse gear. The headstock
spindle is a hollow cylindrical shaft that provides a drive from the motor to work holding
devices.

3. Gear Box:

The quick-change gearbox is placed below the headstock and contains several different sized
gears.

4. Carriage:

The carriage is located between the headstock and tailstock and serves the purpose of supporting,
guiding, and feeding the tool against the job during operation.

The main parts of carriage are:

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a) The saddle is an H-shaped casting mounted on the top of lathe ways. It provides support to
the cross-slide, compound rest, and tool post.
b) The cross slide is mounted on the top of the saddle, and it provides a mounted or automatic
cross-movement for the cutting tool.
c) The compound rest is fitted on the top of the cross slide and is used to support the tool post
and the cutting tool.
d) The tool post is mounted on the compound rest, and it rigidly clamps the cutting tool or tool
holder at the proper height relative to the work centerline.
e) The apron is fastened to the saddle and it houses the gears, clutches, and levers required to
move the carriage or cross slide. The engagement of split nut lever and the automatic feed lever
at the same time is prevented she carriage along the lathe bed.

lat
he machine carriage
5. Tailstock:

The tailstock is a movable casting located opposite the headstock on the ways of the bed. The
tailstock can slide along the bed to accommodate different lengths of the workpiece between the
centers. A tailstock clamp is provided to lock the tailstock at any desired position.

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 tailstock
6. Lead screw:

A lead screw also known as a power screw is a screw, moves the carriage by a precise increment
for every rotation of the screw. The lead screw is made with square, acme, or buttress type
threads.

Sources:
https://themechanicalengineering.com/lathe-machine/
https://www.britannica.com/technology/lathe
https://learnmech.com/introduction-lathe-machine-types-of/
https://machineryfuture.weebly.com/knowledge/lathe-machine