The lathe is considered the oldest machine, that is widely being used in industries. It is said that the first screw-cutting lathe was developed by an English man named Henry Moudslay in the year 1977. Modern high-speed and heavy-duty lathes are being developed based on this machine. The primary task of a lathe is to generate cylindrical workpieces.
The process of machining a workpiece to get the required shape and size by moving the cutting tool either parallel or perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the workpiece is known as turning. In this process, excess unwanted metal is removed.
The machine that is used for performing plain turning, taper turning, thread cutting, chamfering, knurling, etc., is known as a lathe and is also called the mother of all machines. In this chapter, we will discuss the lathe machine and all the related aspects.
The main function of the lathe machine is to rotate a job to give the required shape by performing some operations on it. As we know the lathe is the mother of all machines, and it shows some complexities in performing the operations. So, we must have a better understanding of its constructional features which are aided in performing the operations. Some of its constructional features are discussed here.
(i) It holds the cutting tool and feeds against the direction of rotation.Â
(ii) It has fixed and sliding parts to get a relative movement of the cutting tool with respect to the rotation of the work.
(iii) It has fit accessories and attachments for performing different operations.
Main Parts of Lathe Machine
Every individual part performs an important task in a lathe machine.Â
Some important parts of a lathe machine are listed below.Â
- Bed
- Headstock
- Main spindle
- Carriage
- Tailstock
- Feed mechanism