Lathe is a machine, which removes the metal from a piece of work to the required shape and size.
Lathe is one of the most important machine tools in the metal working industry. A lathe operates on the principle of a rotating work piece and a fixed cutting tool.
The cutting tool is feed into the work piece, which rotates about its own axis, causing the work piece to be for med to the desired shape.
Function of lathe
Lathe is to remove excess material in the form of chips by rotating the work piece against a stationary cutting tool
Lathe Machine parts
- Bed : supports all major components
- Head stock : Holds the jaws for the work piece, supplies power to the jaws and has various drive speeds
- Tail stock : supports the other end of the workpiece
- Carriage : slides along the ways and consists of the cross slide tool post, apron
Working principle of lathe
- If the tool moves parallel to work piece cylindrical surface is formed
- If the tool moves inclined to the axis it produces a taper surface and is called taper turning.
- It holds the work between two supports called centers.
- Chuck or Face plate is also used for holding the work
- Chuck or face plate is mounted on machine spindle
- Cutting tool is held and supported on a tool post.
- Movement of the job is rotation about spindle axis