INDUSTRIAL LATHES

Industrial lathes are some of the most used machine tools in the metallurgical industry. These machines are employed in most industrial processes, where metals or other materials are machined with the aim of obtaining a myriad of pieces or shapes as a result.

The value of lathes lies in their multifunctionality, the ability to optimize production, and the redirection of human capital in the industry. Industrial lathes are machines that stand out for their structure, recognized versatility, and practical implementation.

Main structure of an industrial lathe

Although industrial lathes can be horizontal, vertical, or operate by numerical control (CNC lathes), generally, all have the same components, which vary little from model to model. Some of these essential elements are described below:

• Bed: is the structure used as support for the lathe. Other pieces that make up the equipment rest on it and are essential for its performance. They are capable of dissipating vibrations emitted during the machining process, although sometimes this task is facilitated by some accessories.
• Norton Box: is made up of several pieces, among which pulleys, gears, and belts stand out. Thanks to the union of these elements, adjustments in the rotation speed can be made, through external levers manipulated by the operator according to their needs. This box makes it possible for the lathe's movement to be automatic.
• Fixed Headstock: is the part of the lathe responsible for holding the material to be machined. Besides that, this component is responsible for rotating the workpiece during the machining process.
• Movable Headstock: these headstocks can be moved manually or automatically along the lathe bed surface, thanks to the guides they are supported by and the push from the operator or the machine tool action. Eventually, it is used to fix or hold large volume and size pieces. If you want to fix the movable headstock, it has a lever or electronic mechanism for this purpose.
• Tool Carriages: as their name indicates, are carriages that carry with them the different tools used in the machining process. These carriages have greater independence regarding the movements they can make through the available guides and mechanisms.

General operation of the lathe in the industry

The lathe consists of several machines, parts, and tools. While one segment of the machine rotates the object, material, or piece to be processed, another part performs cuts, fissures, or grooves. In industrial terms, this process is known as geometric shaping of the pieces.

Traditional or more basic lathes are powered by the mobility of the operator's lower and upper limbs. In this case, human force is responsible for triggering the lathe's action. Basic operations can be performed on them after the piece is moved, such as cutting, grooving, or fissuring, among others.

The more advanced models, on the other hand, can be composed of two or more carriages, for performing tasks of greater precision and material diversity. The carriages can be programmed according to the purpose the industry or operator wishes to achieve and can move in different directions.

Diversification of industrial lathes

Industrial lathes are one of those machine tools that various factories or workshops have most integrated into the development of common activities in the secondary sector. This equipment is primarily used in the automotive, electrical, computing, dental, woodworking, and plastics industries; in addition to being intended for the production of tools, instruments, and other distinctive equipment or intended for these or other areas.

According to the needs of each particular sector, the lathe can have different characteristics, both in its operation and in its components, in order to generate the desired results.

Some important distinctions are presented below:

Most prominent branches of lathe work

Classification of types of lathes