So far, we’ve put together the major things to know about lathe machines but in brief. Today we’ll be looking in-depth at the major parts of lathe machines 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 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 the workpiece on the other end. It also performs great when carrying out operations like drilling, reaming, tapping, etc.
- Carriage – the purpose of carriage on the lathe is to support, guide and feed tools against the workpiece during the process.
- Bed – this part is the base of the lathe machine, the 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 – The tool post is located at the topmost portion of the carriage. It is used to hold various tools and is of three types. These include ring and rocker tool posts, quick change tool posts, and square-head tool post
Read more: Different types of Lathe machine operation
Parts of the lathe machine
Other components of the 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 enabling the 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 features a t-slot.
- Lead screw – a lead screw is also called a power screw or a translation screw. It plays a performing role as it converts rotational motion to linear motion. The 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 the right size to the left side.
- Main spindle – this spindle has a hollow cylindrical shaft, which allows the 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 rises toward the cutting tools. It is of two types known as 3 jaw or self-centering chuck and 4 jaw or independent chuck.
Read more: Different types of lathe machines and their classification
Related Article:
- Different types of Lathe machine operation
- Different types of lathe machines and their classification
- Understanding lathe machine
- Understanding the Machining process and machine tool
- Components of the drilling machine
That is all for this article, in which the major parts of a lathe machine have been discussed. Hope you find it helpful. If so, kindly share it with others. Thanks for reading; see you in the next one!
