Lathe Machine

The lathe machine is one of the earliest machine tools and one of the most versatile and widely used as machine
tool for performing the machining operations.

Principle: The job to be machined is held and rotated in a lathe chuck; a single point cutting tool is advanced
which is stationary against the rotating job. Since the cutting tool material is harder than the work-piece, so
metal is easily removed from the job.

DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTION OF LATHE PARTS

1. The Bed
It is the base or foundation of the lathe. It is heavy, rugged and single piece casting made to support
the working parts of the lathe. The headstock and tail stock are located at either end of the bed and the
carriage rests over the lathe bed and slide over it. On the top of the bed, there are two sets of guide
ways - outer ways and inner ways. Outer ways is for the carriage and the inner ways for the tailstock.
The guide ways are of two types wide flat guide ways and inverted V-guide ways.
The lathe bed is the main guiding member of the lathe machine so it must satisfy the following condition.
 It should be sufficiently rigid to prevent deflection
 It must be massive with sufficient depth and width to absorb vibration
 It must resist the twisting
 To avoid distortion
For this point of view the bed material should have high compressive strength, should be
wear resistant and absorb vibration. Cast iron alloyed with nickel and chromium forms a
good material suitable for lathe bed.

2. The Headstock

The headstock is permanently fastened on the inner ways at the left side of the bed. The
headstock spindle, a hollow cylindrical shaft supported by bearings, provides a drive from the
motor to the work holding device. A live centre and sleeve, a face plate, or a chuck can be
fitted to the spindle nose to hold and drive the work. All lathes receive their power with the
help of a head stock. The power transmission device may be step cone pulleys or a geared
head drive.

3. The Tailstock
It is situated at the right hand end of the bed and is mounted on the inner guide ways. It can be moved
towards or away from the operator. Tailstock can be locked in any position along the bed of the lathe
by tightening the clamp lever or nut. The tailstock spindle is a hollow tapered shaft (left side end). It
can be used to hold the dead centre or other tools having the same tapers such as drills and reamers.

This has two main use:

 It supports the other end of the work
 it hold a tool for performing operation such as drilling, reaming, tapping etc.
4. Carriage

The carriage controls and supports the cutting tool. By the help of this, tool moves away or towards
the headstock. It has five major parts
a. Saddle: It is an H-shaped casting mounted on the top of the lathe ways so it slides along the ways
between the headstock and tailstock. On the top it supports the cross-slide and tool post.
b. Cross Slide: It is mounted on the saddle. The cross slide has a dovetail that fits over the saddle
c. Dovetail: It provides the cross movement (towards or away from the operator) to the cutting tool. It
supports the compound rest.
d. Compound Rest: It is mounted on the top of the cross-slide and is used to support the cutting tool.
It can be swiveled to any angle for taper turning operations.
e. Tool Post: It is mounted above the compound rest. A T-slot is machined in the compound rest to
accommodate the tool post. It clamps the cutting tool or cutting tool holder in a desired position.
Type of tool post :
 Single screw tool post
 Four bolt tool post
 Open side tool post
 Four way tool post
f. Apron: It is fastened to the saddle and contains the feeding mechanism. The apron hand wheel can
be turned by hand to move the carriage along the bed of the lathe. The automatic feed lever is used to
engage power feeds to the carriage and the cross slide.
5. Feed Mechanism
The movement of the tool relative to the work is termed as "feed".
A lathe tool may have three types of feed:
a) Longitudinal Feed: When the tool moves parallel to the work i.e. towards or away from the
headstock.
b) Cross Feed: When the tool moves perpendicular to the work i.e. towards or away from the
operator.
c) Angular Feed: When the tool moves at an angle to the work. It is obtained by swivelling the
compound slide.

Cross and longitudinal feed are both hand and power operated but angular feed is only hand operated.
a) Lead screw is used for cutting of the threads in combination with the split nut. Split nut (Half nut)
ensures that carriage moves without any slippage.
b) Feed Rod is used for powered longitudinal movement of the carriage and cross slide.

6. Gear Box
The quick-change gear-box is placed below the headstock and contains a number of different sized
gears.

Work Holding Devices Used in Lathe Machine

The work holding devices are used to hold and rotate the workpieces along with the spindle.
Different work holding devices are used according to the shape, length, diameter and weight
of the workpiece and the location of turning on the work. They are
1. Chucks
2. Face plate
3. Driving plate
4. Catchplate
5. Carriers
6. Mandrels
7. Centres
8. Rests
Chucks
Workpieces of short length, large diameter and irregular shapes, which cannot be mounted
between centres, are held quickly and rigidly in chuck. There are different types of chucks
namely, three jaw universal chuck, four jaw independent chuck, Magnetic chuck, Collet
chuck and Combination chuck.

Three Jaw self-centering chuck

The three jaws fitted in the three slots may be made to slide at the same time by an equal
amount by rotating any one of the three pinions by a chuck key. This type of chuck is suitable
for holding and rotating regular shaped workpieces like round or hexagonal rods about the
axis of the lathe. Workpieces of irregular shapes cannot be held by this chuck.

The work is held quickly and easily as the three jaws move at the same time.

Four Jaw Independent Chuck

There are four jaws in this chuck. Each jaw is moved independently by rotating a screw with
the help of a chuck key. A particular jaw may be moved according to the shape of the work.
Hence this type of chuck can hold woks of irregular shapes. But it requires more time to set
the work aligned with the lathe axis. Experienced turners can set the work about the axis
quickly. Concentric circles are inscribed on the face of the chuck to enable quick centering of
the workpiece.

Magnetic Chuck
The holding power of this chuck is obtained by the magnetic flux radiating from the
electromagnet placed inside the chuck. Magnets are adjusted inside the chuck to hold or
release the work. Workpieces made of magnetic material only are held in this chuck. Very
small, thin and light works which cannot be held in an ordinary chuck are held in this chuck.

Collet Chuck
Collet chuck has a cylindrical bushing known as collet. It is made of spring steel and has slots
cut lengthwise on its circumference. So, it holds the work with more grip. Collet chucks are
used in capstan lathes and automatic lathes for holding bar stock in pro- duction work.

Face plate
Faceplate is used to hold large, heavy and irregular shaped workpieces which can not be
conveniently held between centres. It is a circular disc bored out and threaded to fit to the
nose of the lathe spindle. It is provided with radial plain and ‘T’ – slots for holding the work
by bolts and clamps
Driving Plate
The driving plate is used to drive a workpiece when it is held between centres. It is a circular
disc screwed to the nose of the lathe spindle. It is provided with small bolts or pins on its
face. Workpieces fitted inside straight tail carriers are held and rotated by driving plates.

Catch Plate
When a workpiece is held between centres, the catch plate is used to drive it. It is a circular
disc bored and threaded at the centre. Catch plates are designed with ‘U’ – slots or elliptical
slots to receive the bent tail of the carrier. Positive drive between the lathe spindle and the
workpiece is effected when the workpiece fitted with the carrier fits into the slot of the catch
plate.

Carrier (Lathe Dogs)

When a workpiece is held and machined between centres, carriers are useful in trans- mitting
the driving force of the spindle to the work by means of driving plates and catch plates. The
work is held inside the eye of the carrier and tightened by a screw. Carriers are of two types
and they are:
1. Straight tail carrier
2. Bent tail carrier
Straight tail carrier is used to drive the work by means of the pin provided in the driving
plate. The tail of the bent tail carrier fits into the slot of the catch plate to drive the work.

Mandrel
A previously drilled or bored workpiece is held on a mandrel to be driven in a lathe and
machined. There are centre holes provided on both faces of the mandrel. The live centre and
the dead centre fit into the centre holes. A carrier is attached at the left side of the mandrel.
The mandrel gets the drive either through a catch plate or a driving plate. The workpiece
rotates along with the mandrel. There are several types of mandrels and they are:
1. Plain mandrel
2. Collar mandrel
3. Step mandrel
 4. Cone mandrel
5. Gang mandrel
6. Expansion mandrel

Plain mandrel
The body of the plain mandrel is slightly tapered to provide proper gripping of the workpiece.
The taper will be around 1 to 2mm for a length of 100mm. It is also known as solid mandrel.
It is the type mostly commonly used and has wide application.

Gang Mandrel
It has a fixed collar at one end and a movable collar at the threaded end. This man- drel is
used to hold a set of hollow workpieces between the two collars by tightening the nut.

Screwed Mandrel
It is threaded at one end and a collar is attached to it. Workpieces having internal threads are
screwed on to it against the collar for machining.

Cone Mandrel
It consists of a solid cone attached to one end of the body and a sliding cone, which can be
adjusted by turning a nut at the threaded end. This type is suitable for driving workpieces
having different hole diameters.

Centres
Centres are useful in holding the work in a lathe between centres. The shank of a centre has
Morse taper on it and the face is conical in shape. There are two types of centres namely
 Live centre
 Dead centre

The live centre is fitted on the headstock spindle and rotates with the work. The centre fitted
on the tailstock spindle is called dead centre. It is useful in supporting the other end of the
work. Centres are made of high carbon steel and hardened and then tempered. So the tip of
the centres are wear resistant. Different types of centres are available accord- ing to the shape
of the work and the operation to be performed. They are
1. Ball centre
2. Ordinary centre
3. Half centre
4. Tipped centre
 5. Pipe centre
6. Revolving cenrte
7. Inserted type centre

Rests
A rest is a mechanical device to support a long slender workpiece when it is turned between
centres or by a chuck. It is placed at some intermediate point to prevent the workpiece from
bending due to its own weight and vibrations setup due to the cutting force. There are two
different types of rests
 Follower rest
 Steady rest

Steady rest
Steady rest is made of cast iron. It may be made to slide on the lathe bed ways and clamped at
any desired position where the workpiece needs support. It has three jaws. These jaws can be
adjusted according to the diameter of the work. Machining is done upon the distance starting
from the headstock to the point of support of the rest. One or more steady rests may be used
to support the free end of a long work.

Follower rest
It consists of a ‘C’ like casting having two adjustable jaws to support the workpiece. The rest
is bolted to the back end of the carriage. During machining, it supports the work and moves
with the carriage. So, it follows the tool to give continuous support to the work to be able to
machine along the entire length of the work.

Lathe Machine Processes

Various operations are performed in a lathe machine other than plain turning. These are:-
1. Facing
2. Turning
1. Straight turning
2. Step turning
3. Chamfering
4. Grooving
5. Forming
6. Knurling
7. Undercutting
8. Eccentric turning
9. Taper turning
10. Thread cutting
11. Drilling
12. Reaming
 13. Boring
14. Tapping
Facing
Facing is the operation of machining the ends of a workpiece to produce flat surface square
with the axis. The operation involves feeding the tool perpendicular to the axis of rotation of
the work.

Turning
Turning in a lathe is to remove excess material from the workpiece to produce a cylindrical
surface of required shape and size.
Straight turning
The work is turned straight when it is made to rotate about the lathe axis and the tool is fed
parallel to the lathe axis. The straight turning produces a cylindrical surface by removing
excess metal from the workpieces.

Step turning
Step turning is the process of turning different surfaces having different diameters. The work
is held between centres and the tool is moved parallel to the axis of the lathe. It is also called
shoulder turning.
Chamfering
Chamfering is the operation of bevelling the extreme end of the workpiece. The form tool
used for taper turning may be used for this purpose. Chamfering is an essential operation after
thread cutting so that the nut may pass freely on the threaded workpiece.

Grooving
Grooving is the process of cutting a narrow groove on the cylindrical surface of the
workpiece. It is often done at end of a thread or adjacent to a shoulder to leave a small
margin. The groove may be square, radial or bevelled in shape.
Forming
Forming is a process of turning a convex, concave or any irregular shape. For turning a small
length formed surface, a forming tool having cutting edges conforming to the shape required
is fed straight into the work.

Knurling
Knurling is the process of embossing a diamond shaped pattern on the surface of the
workpiece. The knurling tool holder has one or two hardened steel rollers with edges of
required pattern. The tool holder is pressed against the rotating work. The rollers emboss the
required pattern. The tool holder is fed automatically to the required length.

The purpose of knurling is

1. to provide an effective gripping surface
2. to provide better appearance to the work
3. to slightly increase the diameter of the work

Undercutting
Undercutting is done
 at the end of a hole
 near the shoulder of stepped cylindrical surfaces
 at the end of the threaded portion in bolts
It is a process of enlarging the diameter if done internally and reducing the diameter if done
externally over a short length. It is useful mainly to make fits perfect. Boring tools and
parting tools are used for this operation.

Eccentric turning
If a cylindrical workpiece has two separate axes of rotating, one being out of centre to the
other, the workpiece is termed as eccentric and turning of different surfaces of the workpiece
is known as eccentric turning. The distance between the axes is known as offset. Eccentric
turning may also be done on some special machines. If the offset distance is more, the work
is held by means of special centres. If the offset between the centres is small, two sets of
centres are marked on the faces of the work. The work is held and rotated between each set of
centres to machine the eccentric surfaces.
Taper turning
Taper
A taper may be defined as a uniform increase or decrease in diameter of a piece of work
measured along its length.
Taper turning methods
1. Form tool method
2. Compound rest method
3. Tailstock setover method
4. Taper turning attachment method
5. Combined feed method
Form tool method
A broad nose tool is ground to the required length and angle. It is set on the work by
providing feed to the cross-slide. When the tool is fed into the work at right angles to the
lathe axis, a tapered surface is generated.
This method is limited to turn short lengths of taper only. The length of the taper is shorter
than the length of the cutting edge. Less feed is given as the entire cutting edge will be in
contact with the work.

Compound rest method

The compound rest of the lathe is attached to a circular base graduated in degrees, which may
be swiveled and clamped at any desired angle. The angle of taper is calculated using the
formula
The compound rest is swiveled to the angle calculated as above and clamped. Feed is given to
the compund slide to generate the required taper.
Tailstock setover method
Turning taper by the setover method is done by shifting the axis of rotation of the workpiece
at an angle to the lathe axis and feeding the tool parallel to the lathe axis. The construction of
tailstock is designed to have two parts namely the base and the body. The base is fitted on the
bed guideways and the body having the dead centre can be moved at cross to shift the lathe
axis.
The amount of setover – s, can be calculated as follows

The dead centre is suitably shifted from its original position to the calculated distance. The
work is held between centres and longitudinal feed is given by the carriage to generate the
taper.

The advantage of this method is that the taper can be turned to the entire length of the work.
Taper threads can also be cut by this method.
The amount of setover being limited, this method is suitable for turning small tapers (approx.
upto 8°). Internal tapers cannot be done by this method.

Taper attachment method

The taper attachment consists of a bracket which is attached to the rear end of the lathe bed. It
supports a guide bar pivoted at the centre. The bar having graduation in degrees may be
swiveled on either side of the zero graduation and set at the desired angle to the lathe axis. A
guide block is mounted on the guide bar and slides on it. The cross slide is made free from its
screw by removing the binder screw. The rear end of the cross slide is tightened with the
guide block by means of a bolt. When the longitudinal feed is engaged, the tool mounted on
the cross slide will follow the angular path as the guide block will slide on the guide bar set at
an angle of the lathe axis. The depth of cut is provided by the compound slide which is set
parallel to the cross-slide.
The advantage of this method is that long tapers can be machined. As power feed can be
employed, the work is completed at a shorter time. The disadvantage of this method is that
internal tapers cannot be machined.

Combined feed method

Feed is given to the tool by the carriage and the cross-slide at the same time to move the tool
at resultant direction to turn tapers.

Thread cutting
Thread cutting is one of the most important operations performed in a lathe. The process of
thread cutting is to produce a helical groove on a cylindrical surface by feeding the tool
longitudinally.
1. The job is revolved between centres or by a the longitudinal feed should be equal to the
pitch of the thread to be cut per revolution of the work piece.
2. The carriage should be moved longitudinally obtaining feed through the leadscrew of the
3. A definite ratio between the longitudinal feed and rotation of the headstock spindle
should be found Suitable gears with required number of teeth should be mounted on the
spindle and the leadscrew.
4. A proper thread cutting tool is selected according to the shape of the It is mounted on the
toolpost with its cutting edge at the lathe axis and perpendicular to the axis of the work.
5. The position of the tumbler gears are adjusted according to the type of the thread (right
hand or left hand).
6. Suitable spindle speed is selected and it is obtained through back
7. Half nut lever is engaged at the right point as indicated by the thread chasing
8. Depth of cut is set suitably to allow the tool to make a light cut on the
9. When the cut is made for the required length, the half nut lever is The carriage is brought
back to its original position and the above procedure is repeated until the required depth
of the thread is achieved.
10. After the process of thread cutting is over, the thread is checked by suitable gauges.
Boring:
The process in which material is removed from the inside of work piece is called BORING. It
is used to enlarge the inner diameter of the hole. It is done by using a tool called boring bar
along the axis of the work piece.

Drilling:
The process which is used to make a cylindrical hole in the work piece is called DRILLING.
It is done by a tool drill bit fixed it on the tail stock revolving against the revolution of work
piece.
Reaming:
The process which is used to finish already drilled holes in the work piece is called
REAMING. It is also used to enlarge the drilled hole of the work piece. It is done by using a
tool called reamer fixing it on the tail stock like drilling but at low speed.

Lathe Cutting Tools

Cutting tools in lathe are made from several types of steel, the most common of which are
described below.
 Carbon Steel. Carbon steel, or tool steel is high in carbon content, hardens to a high degree of
hardness when properly heated. For low-speed turning, high carbon steels give satisfactory
results and are more economical than other materials.
 High-Speed Steel. High-speed steel is alloyed with tungsten and sometimes with chromium,
vanadium and the majority of lathe cutting tools are made of high-speed steel because it
retains its hardness at extremely high temperatures.
 Stellite. These cutter bits will withstand higher cutting speeds than high-speed steel cutter
Stellite is a nonmagnetic alloy which is harder than common high-speed steel. Stellite is more
brittle than high-speed steel.
 Tungsten Carbide. Tungsten carbide is used to tip cutting tools when maximum speed and
efficiency is required for materials which are difficult to Although expensive, these cutter bits
are highly efficient for machining cast iron, alloyed cast iron, copper, brass, bronze,
aluminium.
 Tantalum Carbide and Titanium Carbide. These cutting tools are similar to tungsten
carbide tools but are used mostly for machining steel where extreme heavy cuts are
taken and heat and pressure tend to deform the cutting edge of the other types of
cutting tools.
Single Point Cutting Tool: Nomenclature and Tool Signature
The elements of tool signature or nomenclature of single point cutting tool is illustrated in
the figure below
(i)Back rake angle:
Back rake angle is the angle between the face of the single point cutting tool and a line
parallel with base of the tool measured in a perpendicular plane through the side cutting edge.
If the slope face is downward toward the nose, it is negative back rake angle and if it is
upward toward nose, it is positive back rake angle. Back rake angle helps in removing the
chips away from the workpiece.

(ii) Side rake angle

Side rake angle is the angle by which the face of tool is inclined side ways. Side rake
angle is the angle between the surface the flank immediately below the point and the line
down from the point perpendicular to the base. Side rake angle of cutting tool determines the
thickness of the tool behind the cutting edge. It is provided on tool to provide clearance
between workpiece and tool so as to prevent the rubbing of workpiece with end flake of tool.

(iii)End relief angle:

End relief angle is defined as the angle between the portion of the end flank immediately
below the cutting edge and a line perpendicular to the base of the tool, measured at right
angles to the flank. End relief angle allows the tool to cut without rubbing on the workpiece.

(iv) Side relief angle:

Side rake angle is the angle between the portion of the side flank immediately below the side
edge and a line perpendicular to the base of the tool measured at right angles to the side. Side
relief angle is the angle that prevents the interference as the tool enters the material. It is
incorporated on the tool to provide relief between its flank and the workpiece surface.

(v) End cutting edge angle:

End cutting edge angle is the angle between the end cutting edge and a line perpendicular to
the shank of the tool. It provides clearance between tool cutting edge and workpiece.

(vi) Side cutting edge angle:

Side cutting edge angle is the angle between straight cutting edge on the side of tool and the
side of the shank. It is responsible for turning the chip away from the finished surface.

Tool Signature of Single Point Cutting Tool:

Tool signature is a standardized abbreviated system used for specifying tool angles. It
indicates the angles that a tool utilizes during the cut. It specifies the active angles of the tool
normal to the cutting edge.

The seven elements that comprise the signature of a single point cutting tool are always stated
in the following order:
1. Back rake angle (0°)
2. Side rake angle (7°)
3. End relief angle (6°)
4. Side relief angle (8°)
5. End cutting edge angle (15°)
6. Side cutting edge angle (16°) and
7. Nose radius (0.8 mm)

If a tool has shown by 2, 9, 5, 5, 9, 11, 3 it means

Back rack angle: 2°
Side rack angle: 9°
End relief angle: 5°
Side relief angle: 5°
End cutting edge angle: 9°
Side cutting edge angle: 11°
Nose radius: 3mm
Cutting Speed, Feed and Depth of Cut on Lathe
Cutting speed

The cutting speed is the distance travelled by a point on the outer surface of the work in one
minute. It is expressed in meters per minute.

Feed

The feed of a cutting tool in a lathe work is the distance the tool advances for each revolution
of the work. Feed is expressed in millimeters per revolution.
Depth of cut

The depth of cut is the perpendicular distance measured from the machined surface to the
uncut surface of the workpiece. It is expressed in millimeters.

In a lathe, the depth of cut is expressed as follows

Size of a Lathe Machine

The size of a lathe machine is specified by the following points:-

1. The length of the bed

2. Maximum distance between live and dead centres
3. The height of centres from the bed
4. The swing diameter

The swing diameter over bed – It refers to the largest diameter of the work that will be rotated
without touching the bed

The swing diameter over carriage – It is the largest diameter of the work that will revolve
over the saddle.

5. The bore diameter of the spindle

6. The width of the bed
7. The type of the bed
8. Pitch value of the lead screw
9. Horse power of the motor
10. Number and range of spindle speeds
11. Number of feeds
12. Spindle nose diameter
13. Floor space required
14. The type of the machine