Introduction To Lathe Machine

Lathe is one of the most versatile and widely used machine tools all over the world.The main function of a lathe is to remove metal from a job to give it the required shape and size. The job is securely and rigidly held in the chuck or in between centres on the lathe machine and then turn it against a single point cutting tool which will remove metal from the job in the form of chips.

An engine lathe is the most basic and simplest form of the lathe.Basic Operation such as drilling, reaming, boring, taper turning, knurling, screw thread cutting, grinding etc.. can be perform.

Types Of Lathe:

Lathes are manufactured in a variety of types and sizes, from very small bench lathes used for precision work to huge lathes used for turning large steel shafts.

1. Speed Lathe

Speed lathe is simplest of all types of lathes in construction and operation.It has no feed box, 1eadscrew or conventional type of carriage. The tool is mounted on the adjustable slide and is fed into the work by hand control.

2. centre lathe or engine lathe

The term “engine” is associated with this lathe due to the fact that in the very early days of its development it was driven by steam engine.Centre lathes or engine lathes are classified according to methods of transmitting power to the machine. The power may be transmitted by means of belt, electric motor or through gears.

3. Bench Lathe

This is a small lathe usually mounted on a bench. It has practically all the parts of an engine lathe or speed lathe and it performs almost all the operations. This is used for small and precision work.

4.Tool room lathe

This lathe has features similar to an engine lathe but it is much more accurately built. It has a wide range of spindle speeds ranging from a very low to a quite high speed.

5. Caption And Turret Lathe

The development of these 1athes results from the technological advancement of the engine lathe and these are vastly used for mass production work.

6. Special Purpose Lathe

These lathes are constructed for special purposes and for jobs, which cannot be accommodated or conveniently machined on a standard lathe. The wheel lathe is made for finishing the journals and turning the tread on railroad car and locomotive wheels.