So far, we’ve put together the major things to know on lathe machine but in brief. Today we’ll be looking in-depth on the major parts of lathe machine and their functions. If you must know, there are some basic parts learners must know and how they work. These basic parts include:
Head-stock – this part is permanently secured on the inner ways at the left-hand end of the lathe bed. It comprises essentially a hollow spindle and for driving and altering the spindle speed.
Tail-stock – the tail-stock is located at the right-hand end of the bed, which helps to support work piece on the other end. It also performs great when carrying out operations like drilling, reaming, tapping etc.
Carriage – the purpose of carriage on lathe is to support, guide and feed tools against the work piece during the process.
Bed – this part is the base of lathe machine, head-stock, tail-stock and carriage are located at the top of the bed. The carriage even rests over the bed and slides over it.
The bed should be rigid enough in order to prevent deflection and must be able to resist the operations. Another feature a lathe bed must carry is to be able to resist vibration.
Tool post – tool post is located at the topmost portion of the carriage. It is used to hold various tools and it of three types. These include ring and rocker tool post, quick change tool post and square-head tool post
Parts of lathe machine
Other components of lathe machine include;
Leg – this part bears the entire weight of the machine tool and transfers it to the ground. That is why it is firmly secured to the floor by the foundation bolt.
Compound rest – the compound rest supports the tool post and cutting tool in different positions. It is designed to be swiveled at any desired direction in the horizontal plane, making it suitable for turning angles and enables taper to be cut.
Saddle – the saddle is in H shaped casting and it has a V guide and a flat guide for mounting it on the lathe bed guideways
Cross-slide – this part is mounted on the top of the saddle and its features a t-slot.
Lead screw – a lead screw is also called power screw or a translation screw. It plays a perform role as it converts rotational motion to linear motion. Lead screw is used for thread cutting operation.
Feed rod – a feed rod is used to transfer the carriage from the left side to the right side and from right size to left size.
Main spindle – this spindle has a hollow cylindrical shaft, which allows long workpiece to pass through it. it firmly holds the workpiece that the force from the cutting tool can’t overpower.
Chuck – the chuck securely holds the workpiece as it res toward the cutting tools. It is of two types known as 3 jaw or self-centering chuck and 4 jaw or independent chuck.
