1.0 Statement of Purpose/ Objective.

1.1 To identify the purpose of the main parts in the Lathe Machine.
1.2 To identify the characteristics of the Lathe Blades used.
1.3 Learning how to perform Lathe process in a correct manner.

2.0 Introduction Theory

History

Many of among us are un concern about the industrial application that we need of our
daily appliances.The lathe is an ancient tool, dating at least to the Egyptians and known and
used in Assyria, Greece, the Roman and Byzantine Empires.

The origin of turning dates to around 1300 BC when the Egyptians first developed a
two-person lathe. One person would turn the wood work piece with a rope while the other
used a sharp tool to cut shapes in the wood. The Romans improved the Egyptian design with
the addition of a turning bow. Early bow lathes were also developed and used in Germany,
France and Britain. In the Middle Ages a pedal replaced hand-operated turning, freeing both
the craftsman's hands to hold the woodturning tools. The pedal was usually connected to a
pole, often a straight-grained sapling. The system today is called the "spring pole" lathe (see
Polelathe). Spring pole lathes were in common use into the early 20th century. A two-person
lathe, called a "great lathe", allowed a piece to turn continuously (like today's power lathes).
A master would cut the wood while an apprentice turned the crank.

During the Industrial Revolution, mechanized power generated by water wheels or

steam engines was transmitted to the lathe via line shafting, allowing faster and easier work.
The design of lathes diverged between woodworking and metalworking to a greater extent
than in previous centuries. Metalworking lathes evolved into heavier machines with thicker,
more rigid parts. The application of leadscrews, slide rests, and gearing produced
commercially practical screw-cutting lathes. Between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries,
individual electric motors at each lathe replaced line shafting as the power source. Beginning
in the 1950s, servomechanisms were applied to the control of lathes and other machine tools
via numerical control (NC), which often was coupled with computers to yield computerized
numerical control (CNC). Today manually controlled and CNC lathes coexist in the
manufacturing industries.

A metal lathe or metalworking lathe is a large class of lathes designed for precisely
machining relatively hard materials. They were originally designed to machine metals;
however, with the advent of plastics and other materials, and with their inherent versatility,
they are used in a wide range of applications, and a broad range of materials. In machining
jargon, where the larger context is already understood, they are usually simply called lathes,
or else referred to by more-specific subtype names (toolroom lathe, turret lathe, etc.). These
rigid machine tools remove material from a rotating workpiece via the (typically linear)
movements of various cutting tools, such as tool bits and drill bits.
3.0 Equipment/Description of Equipment

The design of lathes can vary greatly depending on the intended application; however, basic
features are common to most types. These machines consist of (at the least) a headstock,
bed, carriage, and tailstock. Better machines are solidly constructed with broad bearing
surfaces (slides or ways) for stability, and manufactured with great precision.

3.1 Head stock

Figure 3.1 image of Head stock

The main spindle is generally hollow to allow long bars to extend through to the work
area. This reduces preparation and waste of material. The spindle runs in precision bearings
and is fitted with some means of attaching work holding devices such as chucks or
faceplates. This end of the spindle usually also has an included taper, frequently a Morse
taper, to allow the insertion of tapers and centers. On older machines the spindle was
directly driven by a flat belt pulley with lower speeds available by manipulating the bull gear.
Later machines use a gear box driven by a dedicated electric motor. A fully geared head
allows the operator to select speeds entirely through the gearbox.

3.2 Bed

Figures 3.2 Image of bed in a Lathe machine

 The bed is a robust base that connects to the headstock and permits the carriage and
tailstock to be aligned parallel with the axis of the spindle. This is facilitated by hardened and
ground ways which restrain the carriage and tailstock in a set track. The carriage travels by
means of a rack and pinion system, lead screw of accurate pitch, or feed screw."V" and
combination beds are used for precision and light duty work, while flat beds are used for
heavy duty work.

3.3 Feed and Lead Screw

Figure 3.3 Image of Feed and lead screws

Some lathes have only one leadscrew that serves all carriage-moving purposes. For
screw cutting, a half nut is engaged to be driven by the leadscrew's thread; and for general
power feed, a key engages with a keyway cut into the leadscrew to drive a pinion along a rack
that is mounted along the lathe bed. The feedscrew (H8) is a long driveshaft that allows a
series of gears to drive the carriage mechanisms.

3.4 Carriage

Figure 3.4 Image of Carriage in work

In its simplest form the carriage holds the tool bit and moves it longitudinally (turning) or
perpendicularly (facing) under the control of the operator. The operator moves the carriage manually
via the hand wheel or automatically by engaging the feed shaft with the carriage feed mechanism.
3.5 Cross Slide

Figure 3.5 Image of Cross slide

The cross-slide (3) rides on the carriage and has a feedscrew that travels
perpendicular to the main spindle axis. This permits facing operations to be performed, and
the depth of cut to be adjusted. This feedscrew can be engaged, through a gear train, to the
feed shaft (mentioned previously) to provide automated 'power feed' movement to the
cross-slide.

3.6 Compound Rest

The compound rest is usually where the tool post is mounted. It provides a smaller
amount of movement along its axis via another feedscrew. The compound rest axis can be
adjusted independently of the carriage or cross-slide. It is used for turning tapers, to control
depth of cut when screwcutting or precision facing, or to obtain finer feeds than the feed shaft
permits. Usually, the compound rest has a protractor marked in its base, enabling the operator
to adjust its axis to precise angles.

3.7 Toolpost

The tool bit is mounted in the toolpost (1) which may be of the American lantern
style, traditional four-sided square style, or a quick-change style such as the multi fix
arrangement pictured. The advantage of a quick change set-up is to allow an unlimited
number of tools to be used (up to the number of holders available) rather than being limited
to one tool with the lantern style, or to four tools with the four-sided type.

3.8 Tail Stock

The tailstock is a toolholder directly mounted on the spindle axis, opposite the
headstock. The spindle does not rotate but does travel longitudinally under the action of a
leadscrew and handwheel. The spindle includes a taper to hold drill bits, centers and other
tooling.
3.9 Steady and follower rests

Workpieces often need to be supported more than the chuck and/or centers can
support them, because cutting metal produces tremendous forces that tend to vibrate or
even bend the workpiece.