Lathe Machine and Its Main Components:

The lathe machine is primarily used for removing and shaping metal parts and is considered a standard machine tool in the machine tool industry. (A lathe is a machine that works by securing the workpiece on the machine, rotating it, and engaging the cutting tool with the workpiece. This process removes specific parts of the metal through chip removal from the main surface, resulting in the final shape. In this process, the excess material is removed as fine chips or swarf, which are not reusable.)

Lathe Machine:

The lathe machine is one of the most widely used machines in the industry, utilized for various machining operations based on chip removal processes.

The cutting tool is applied to a rotating workpiece to perform different operations such as turning, knurling, shaping, helical cutting, finishing, drilling, grinding, and more.

The primary function of the lathe is to remove and separate material from the workpiece and shape it into the desired form and size. During the turning process, the workpiece is rotated against the cutting tool to remove excess material.

The use of a center lathe is suitable for single-piece production, low-volume manufacturing, and repair shops. The center lathe is capable of machining parts in both longitudinal and transverse directions. A conventional lathe is a machine that is not computer-controlled. In addition to universal lathes, other types of conventional lathes include turret lathes, center lathes, copying lathes, production lathes, and rotary lathes.

The main components of the lathe are as follows:

• Headstock:

  The headstock of the lathe, usually located on the left side, is equipped with gears, spindles, a three-jaw chuck, a four-jaw chuck, gear speed control levers, and feed controllers.

  Tailstock:

  The tailstock is typically located on the right side of the lathe and supports the workpiece at its end. It is used instead of the cutting tool when working with long workpieces or when drilling holes at the end of the workpiece.

  Three-Jaw Chuck:

  This component is used to hold the workpiece. The three-jaw chuck is operated using a special wrench. All jaws move simultaneously, making it suitable for spherical and rotating workpieces.

  Four-Jaw Chuck:

  The four-jaw chuck functions similarly to the three-jaw chuck, but it is used to hold square, cubic, or non-rotational workpieces. It is also used for workpieces that lack symmetry, as the jaws of the four-jaw chuck can be adjusted individually, unlike the three-jaw chuck.

  Bed:

  The bed is the main part of the lathe to which all other components are attached, including the headstock, tailstock, carriage rails, and other parts.

  Carriage:

  The carriage is located between the headstock and tailstock and consists of the saddle, cross-slide, compound rest, apron, and tool post.

  Lead Screw:

  The lead screw is used to automatically move the carriage during threading operations.

  Feed Rod:

  The feed rod is used to move the carriage from left to right and vice versa.

  Hand Wheel:

  The hand wheel is used to manually move the cross-slide, carriage, tailstock, and other components equipped with hand wheels.

  Types of Lathes:

  Lathe machines are generally categorized into three types:

  1. Electromotor Lathe (Electric Motor Lathe)
  2. Turret Lathe
  3. Special-Purpose Lathe