Definition of Lathe Machine and its types| Advantages and Disadvantages of drilling Machine

Lathe Machine Definition

A lathe machine is a piece of equipment that uses a tool that can be fed deeply into the workpiece and travel across it to remove unwanted material from rotating workpieces in the form of chips.

It is a machine tool that is among the most essential, adaptable, and popular in use worldwide. Also known as the "Mother of All Machines," the lathe. Due to the fact that it can be used for a wide range of operations, the lathe machine has evolved into a general-purpose machine tool that is used in production and repair work today.

Lathe Machine parts and their function

The Lathe Machine consists of the following Main Parts,

Headstock

On the left end of the bed is the headstock. Power transmission to the various components of the lathe is the headstock's primary duty. It correctly aligns and supports the main spindle within the bearing. Additionally, it contains a transmission system that is required, complete with levers for changing speeds.

Accessories mounted on the headstock spindle are:

Three jaw chuck.
Four jaw chuck.
Lathe center and lathe dog.
Collet chuck.
Face Plate.
Magnetic chuck.

Tail stock

At the left end of the lathe bed, the headstock, which has a hollow spindle and a drive mechanism for adjusting the spindle speed, is securely fastened to the inner ways.

Carriage

Between the head and tailstocks is where the carriage is. During use, the carriage's primary duties include supporting, directing, and feeding the tool against the task.

It consists of 5 main parts:

Saddle
Cross Slide
Compound rest
Tool Post
Apron

Saddle

An H-shaped casting known as the saddle slides alongside the ways carrying the cross-slide and tool post and fits over the bed.

Cross Slide

The casting used to make the cross-slide has an attachment point on the bottom for the saddle.

Compound rest

On the cross slide's top, there is a compound rest. It supports the cutting tool post and tool in all of its positions. For turning angles and boring short tapers and forms on forming tools, a compound rest is required.

Tool Post

On the top of the compound rest is a tool post that holds the tool and allows it to be adjusted into a working position. Single screw, four-bolt, open side, and four-way tool posts are just a few examples of the various varieties of tool posts.

Apron

The apron hangs over the front of the bed and is attached to the saddle. The split nut that engages with the lead screw when cutting threads, as well as the gears and clutches for transferring motion from the feed rod to the carriage, make up the apron.

The following two aprons are frequently used:

utilizing the drop worm technique.
either dog clutches or friction

Bed

The base on which the other components of the lathe are attached is the machine's bed. The bed is supported by large box-section columns and is made of cast iron or a nickel cast iron alloy.

The guiding and sliding surfaces are present, and its upper surface is either scraped or grounded. The bed is made of hefty metal slides with forced ways or vs along their length. Cross grits provide rigid support for it.

Chuck

Chucks are mostly used to hold workpieces, particularly those that have short lengths, enormous diameters, or asymmetrical shapes that are difficult to mount between centers. It can be screwed to the lathe by attaching the spindle nose.

Feed rod

In order to drive the carriage precisely along the lathe's longitudinal axis, a feed rod is used as a power transfer device. Instead of a feed rod, lead screws are sometimes used in lathe machines.

Lead Screw

The lead screw is typically employed when a lathe is used to execute the threading procedure. As is well known, threading operations necessitate both linear tool movement and rotation of the task (workpiece) (tool post).

As a result, the chuck rotates the work, and the lead screw, which drives the saddle when it is engaged, provides the tool post with the appropriate linear motion.

Spindle

Workpieces are machine-cut using lathe spindles. Since the workpiece is secured using the chuck of the lathe spindle, they are also known as workpiece spindles. The tool affixed to the driven machine axis machines the rotating workpiece.

Functions of the Lathe Machine

The primary purpose of a lathe is to remove metal from a piece of work in order to shape and size it as needed.

This is accomplished by securely and tightly mounting the work on the apparatus before rotating it against the cutting tool, which removes metal from the work in the form of chips.

Types of Lathe Machine

Speed Lathe Machine
Engine Lathe Machine
Bench Lathe Machine
Toolroom Lathe Machine
Capstan and Turret Lathe Machine
Special purpose Lathe Machine

Different Operation Performed on Lathe Machine

The following different types of Lathe Machine Operation are

Turning Operation
Tapered Turning
Shoulder Turning
Facing Operation
Thread cutting operation
Parting Operation
Chamfering Operation
Knurling Operation
Drilling Operation
Boring Operation
Counter Boring Operation
Countersinking Operation and
Reaming Operation

Cutting speed of Lathe Machine

The cutting speed of a tool is defined as the rate at which the tool removes metal from the workpiece. It is the work's radial speed, measured in meter per minute.

Cutting speed = Πdn/1000 m/min
Where, d = Diameter of the work piece
n = RPM

A feed of Lathe Machine

A cutting tool's feed is the amount of movement it makes with each work rotation. Millimeters per rotation are used to express the feed.

Depth of cut of Lathe Machine

The depth of cut is the measurement taken along a perpendicular line from the machine surface to the workpiece's uncut surface.

Depth of cut = d1-d2/2
d1=Diameter of the work surface before machining
d2=Diameter of the machined surface

Lathe Machine Specification

The following parameter should be used to fully specify the lathe Machine.

The length between the two centers
Height of the center
Swing Diameter over the bed
Maximum bar diameter
Tailstock sleeve travel
Metric thread pitches
Leadscrew Pitch
Motor horsepower and RPM
Shipping dimension: (length x width x height x weight).

Advantages of the Lathe machine

1. High Quality Products

The CNC lathe machine, in particular, produces high-quality final products.

2. High Speed

Particularly in automatic and CNC lathe machines, the machining in the lathe can be done at an extremely high speed.

3. Saves time

Lathe machines save a lot of time due to their extensive high speed and high accuracy, which increases production.

4. Saves Money

Because fewer operators are needed for machining, lathe machines aid in lowering machining costs.

Disadvantages of Lathe Machine

The initial cost is very high for the lathe machine.

 which is one of its drawbacks.

worker with high skill levels needed for initial setup.

Small-scale production cannot be done with CNC machines.

Lathe Machine Working Principle

A rotating workpiece and a fixed cutting tool are the basis of how a lathe operates. The workpiece is held either in a rotating faceplate, chuck, or between two strong, rigid supports known as a center. Lathe uses a tool that is transverse across the work and can be fed deeply into the work to remove unwanted material from a rotating workpiece in the form of chips. The lathe's primary purpose is to take the metal from a job and shape and size it as needed. The cutting tool is fed during standard cutting operations either parallel to or at a right angle to the axis of the work. One can feed the cutting tool at an angle.