Technical Description of a Lathe Machine

 

Technical Description of a Lathe Machine

A lathe machine is turning machine which can cut undesired metal of a workpiece, drill or bore it and give it a desired shape. Lathe is a forerunner of all machine tools. It is one of the most important machine tools in the metal working industry. It can give any required shape to a metal piece. It works on the principle of rotating work piece and fixed tool. It was invented by Henry Maudsley.


Types of Lathe

1.    Engine Lathe

2.    Turret Lathe

3.    Bench Lathe

4.    Tracer Lathe

5.    Automatic Lathe

6.    CNC Lathe



Parts of a lathe

1.    Lathe bed - 

2.    Head stock

3.    Quick Change Gear Box

4.    Carriage (Saddle, Cross slide, Apron)

5.    Tail Stock

6.    Tools

Bed

Bed is the part of the machine on which all other parts are mounted. The following three major units are mounted on it. They are: -

1.    Headstock

2.    Tailstock

3.    Carriage

Headstock

It is mounted on the left side of the bed. The main function of the headstock is to transmit power to the different parts of lathe. It supports main spindle with the help of a bearing and keeps it in the proper alignment. It houses necessary transmission mechanism, gears and levers to run the spindle on a desired speed.

The following accessories can be mounted on it.

1.    Three Jaw Chuck

2.    Four Jaw Chuck

3.    Lather Center and Lathe Dog

4.    Collet Chuck

5.    Face Plate

6.    Magnetic Chuck

Tailstock

It is a movable head mounted on the right of the bed opposite to the headstock. It supports the other end of the workpiece when it is machined. Besides this, it also holds the tool for performing drilling, cutting, reaming and tapping. It has dead centers, hand wheel and adjusting screw. Its body is moveable as it is mounted on the guideways.

Carriage

It is found between Headstock and Tailstock. It supports, guides and feeds the tool against the job during operation. It has five main parts namely saddle, cross slide, compound rest, tool post and apron.

Tools

There are several tools that are used for different purposes like turning tool, chamfering tool, thread cutting tool, internal thread cutting tool, facing tool, grooving tool, forming tool, boring tool, parting off tool, counterboring tool and undercutting tool.

 

The whole machine is run by a powered electric motor. It can turn a piece on a fixed tool in a uniform speed and give to and fro motion also in a uniform speed. It can bore holes, cut threads and give a desired shape to any piece of metal by turning the piece on a fixed tool. It is a very important machine which has several applications. 

 


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