LATHE MACHINE

A lathe machine is a mechanical device in which the work piece is rotated against a
suitable cutting tool for producing cylindrical forms in the metal, wood or any
other machine able material.
Different Types of lathe machines are
1. Copy lathe machine
2. Automatic lathe machine
3. Turret lathe machine
4. Engine lathe machine
5. Bench lathe machine
6. Computer controlled lathe machine

Lathe Machine parts:

Bed:
Bed usually made of cast iron. Provides a heavy rigid frame on which all the
main components are mounted.
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 Headstock:
Headstock mounted in a fixed position on the inner ways, usually at
the left end. Using a chuck, it rotates the work.

Gearbox:
Gearbox inside the headstock providing multiple speeds with a
geometric ratio by moving levers.

 Spindle:
Spindle Hole through the headstock to which bar stock can be fed, which
allows shafts that are up to 2 times the length between lathe centers to be worked
on one end at a time.

Chuck:
Chuck 3-jaw (self-centering) or 4-jaw (independent) to clamp part being
machined allows the mounting of difficult work pieces that are not round, square or
triangular.
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 Tailstock:
Tailstock Fits on the inner ways of the bed and can slide towards any
position the headstock to fit the length of the work piece. An optional taper turning
attachment would be mounted to it.

Tailstock Quill:
Tailstock Quill has a Morse taper to hold a lathe center, drill bit or other tool.

 Carriage:
Carriage Moves on the outer ways used for mounting and moving
most the cutting tools.

Cross Slide:
Cross Slide Mounted on the traverse slide of the carriage, and uses a
hand wheel to feed tools into the work piece.

Tool Post:
Tool Post to mount tool holders in which the cutting bits are clamped.
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 Compound Rest:
Compound Rest Mounted to the cross slide, it pivots around the tool
post.

Apron:
Apron Attached to the front of the carriage, it has the mechanism and
controls for moving the carriage and cross slide.

Machining operations that can be performed on a lathe:

Straight turning
Straight turning, sometimes called cylindrical turning, is the process of
reducing the work diameter to a specific dimension as the carriage moves the tool
along the work. The work is machined on a plane parallel to its axis so that there is
no variation in the work diameter throughout the length of the cut. Straight turning
usually consists of a roughing cut followed by a finishing cut.

Taper turning
Taper turning Means, to produce a conical surface by gradual
reduction or increase in diameter from a cylindrical work piece. This tapering
operation has wide range of use in construction of machines. Almost all machine
spindles have taper holes which receive taper shank of various tools and work
holding devices.
Taper Turning Methods: A taper may be turned by any one of the following
methods:
o
o
o
o

By a broad nose form tool.

By setting over the tailstock center.
By swiveling the compound rest.
By a taper turning attachment.
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Profiling
Profiling is a material removal process in manufacturing. Similar,
depending on use, to both sawing and grinding in effect, it is functionally versatile,
but used mostly for finishing operations, namely in de burring operations. Filing
operations can be used on a wide range of materials as a finishing operation. Filing
helps achieve work piece function by removing some excess material and de
burning the surface. Sandpaper may be used as a filing tool for other materials,
such as glass.

Boring:
Boring always involves the enlarging of an existing hole, which may have been
made by a drill or may be the result of a core in a casting. An equally important,
and concurrent, purpose of boring may be to make the hole concentric with the axis
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of rotation of the work piece and thus correct any eccentricity that may have
resulted from the drill's having drifted off the center line. Concentricity is an
important attribute of bored holes. When boring is done in a lathe, the work usually
is held in a chuck or on a face plate. Holes may be bored straight, tapered, or to
irregular contours. Boring is essentially internal turning while feeding the tool
parallel to the rotation axis of the work piece.

Facing:
Facing is the producing of a flat surface as the result of a tool's being fed across the
end of the rotating work piece. Unless the work is held on a mandrel, if both ends
of the work are to be faced, it must be turned end for end after the first end is
completed and the facing operation repeated. The cutting speed should be
determined from the largest diameter of the surface to be faced

Parting:
Parting is the operation by which one section of a work piece is severed from the
remainder by means of a cutoff tool. Because cutting tools are quite thin and must
have considerable overhang, this process is less accurate and more difficult. The
tool should be set exactly at the height of the axis of rotation, be kept sharp, have
proper clearance angles, and be fed into the work piece at a proper and uniform
feed rate.

Threading:
Lathe provided the first method for cutting threads by machines. Although most
threads are now produced by other methods, lathes still provide the most versatile
and fundamentally simple method. Consequently, they often are used for cutting
threads on special work pieces where the configuration or nonstandard size does
not permit them to be made by less costly methods. There are two basic
requirements for thread cutting. An accurately shaped and properly mounted tool is
needed because thread cutting is a form-cutting operation. The resulting thread
profile is determined by the shape of the tool and its position relative to the work
piece. The second by requirement is that the tool must move longitudinally in a
specific relationship to the rotation of the work piece, because this determines the
lead of the thread. This requirement is met through the use of the lead screw and
the split unit, which provide positive motion of the carriage relative to the rotation
of the spindle.

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Knurling:
Knurling is a manufacturing process, typically conducted on a lathe, whereby a
visually-attractive diamond-shaped (criss-cross) pattern is cut or rolled into metal.
This pattern allows human hands or fingers to get a better grip on the knurled
object than would be provided by the originally-smooth metal surface.
Occasionally, the knurled pattern is a series of straight ridges or a helix of
"straight" ridges rather than the more-usual cress-cross pattern.

Drilling:
Frequently, holes will need to be drilled using the lathe before other internal
operations can be completed, such as boring, reaming, and tapping. Although the
lathe is not a drilling machine, time and effort are saved by using the lathe for
drilling operations instead of changing the work to another machine. Before
drilling the end of a work piece on the lathe, the end to be drilled must be spotted
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(center-punched) and then center-drilled so that the drill will start properly and be
correctly aligned. The headstock and tailstock spindles should be aligned for all
drilling, reaming, and spindles should be aligned for drilling, reaming, and tapping
operations in order to produce a true hole and avoid damage to the work and the
lathe.

Spinning operation:
Metal Spinning is a process by which circles of metal are shaped over mandrels
(also called forms) while mounted on a spinning lathe by the application of levered
force with various tools. It is performed rotating at high speeds on a manual
spinning lathe or performed by CNC controlled automated spinning machines. The
flat metal disc is clamped against the mandrel and a series of sweeping motions
then evenly transforms the disc around the mandrel into the desired shape.

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Reaming On the Lathe:

Reamers are used to finish drilled holes or bores quickly and accurately to a
specified diameter. When a hole is to be reamed, it must first be drilled or bored to
within 0.004 to 0.012 inch of the finished size since the reamer is not designed to
remove much material. The hole to be reamed with a machine reamer must be
drilled or bored to within 0.012 inch of the finished size so that the machine reamer
will only have to remove the cutter bit marks. The work piece is mounted in a
chuck at the headstock spindle and the reamer is supported by the tailstock in one
of the methods described for holding a twist drill in the tailstock. The lathe speed
for machine reaming should be approximately one-half that used for drilling.

APPLICATION OF LATHE MACHINE

Automobiles

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Die & Mold Manufacturers

Aerospace

Medical Equipment

Textile Machinery

Diamond & Jeweler Industries

Allied Machinery

Plastic Processing Machinery

Defense

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Safety operating procedure

Lathe machine
DO NOT use this machine unless the technician has instructed
You in its safe use and operation and has given permission.
Long and loose hair must be
contained.

Safety glasses must be worn at

all times in work areas.
CSA footwear must be worn at
all times in work areas.

Close fitting/protective clothing

must be worn.

Rings and jewelry must not be

worn.

Gloves must not be worn when

using this machine.

PRE-OPERATIONAL SAFETY CHECKS

1. Check workspaces and walkways to ensure no slip/trip hazards are present.
2. Locate and ensure you are familiar with the operation of the ON/OFF starter
and E-Stop (if fitted).
3. Ensure all guards are in place.
4. Check that the job is clamped tight in the chuck.
5. Remove all tools from the bed and slides of the machine.
6. Ensure correct speed for machining process is selected.
7. Remove the chuck key before starting the lathe.
8. Do not try to lift chucks or face plates that are too heavy for you.
9. Faulty equipment must not be used. Immediately report suspect machinery.

OPERATIONAL SAFETY CHECKS

1. Never leave the lathe running unattended.
2. Before making adjustments or measurements switch off and bring the machine
to a complete standstill.
3. Do not attempt to slow/stop the chuck or revolving work by hand.
4. Avoid letting swarf build up on the tool or job. Stop the machine and remove it.
5. Always remove the chuck key from the chuck.
6. Do not store tools and parts on top of the machine.
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HOUSEKEEPING
1. Switch off the machine and reset all guards to a fully closed position.
2. Leave the machine in a safe, clean and tidy state.

POTENTIAL HAZARDS

Flying objects - chuck key left in chuck

Cutting tool injury when cleaning, filing or polishing

Rotating machine parts - entanglement

Metal splinters/scarf

Eye injuries

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