Lathe Basics Flashcards
Automatic Bar Machine
A turning machine that continuously cuts a number of parts from a piece of bar stock, one after another. The bar stock advances through the spindle and is held by the collet during the operation.
Axis
An imaginary straight line that passes through the center of an object.
Ballscrew
The threaded device that controls the precise movement of the various turning center components.
Bar Machine
A turning machine that continuously cuts a number of parts from a piece of bar stock, one after another. The bar stock advances through the spindle and a collet during the operation.
Bar Stock
Raw material purchased from metal manufacturers in the form of long bars.
Bed
The base of a lathe that supports the headstock, tailstock, and the ways.
Boring
The process of using a single-point tool to enlarge a preexisting hole.
Boring Bar
A long bar used to position a single-point tool for boring operations.
Carbide Insert
A cutting bit made of hard material that has multiple cutting edges. Once a cutting edge is excessively worn, it can be indexed to another edge, or the insert can be replaced.
Carriage
The section of the turning center that slides back and forth along the ways and supports the cross slide and turret.
Center
The device located in the tailstock that supports the end of the workpiece opposite the spindle.
Chuck
A device that holds a workpiece in place as it rotates. The chuck commonly has three or four jaws that can be adjusted to fit various sizes.
Chucker
A turning machine that requires an operator to load one workpiece at a time.
Collet
A slitted device that holds a workpiece in place as it rotates. A collet has a hole through which the workpiece passes, and it is designed to hold specific dimensions. Collets can also be used to hold cutting tools.
Contour Turning
An operation performed on a lathe that feeds a tool along a curved line in order to create curved, cylindrical shapes.
Cross Slide
The device supported by the carriage that positions the turret toward and away from the workpiece.
Cutoff
An operation performed on the lathe that uses a cutting tool to separate a part from the rest of the stock.
Cutoff Tool
A cutting tool used on a lathe that separates a part from the rest of the stock.
Depth Of Cut
The thickness of the material that is removed by one pass of the cutting tool over the workpiece.
Drilling
The process of using a multi-point tool to penetrate the surface of a workpiece and make a round hole.
Drills
A multi-point tool used to penetrate the surface of a workpiece and make a round hole.
Drive
The main mechanism that powers the rotation of the workpiece.
Engine Lathe
The original and most basic type of lathe.
Facing
An operation performed on a lathe that feeds a single-point tool into the end of a cylindrical workpiece to create a flat surface.
Feed Rate
The speed at which the cutting tool of a lathe moves along the length of a workpiece.
Headstock
The end of a lathe that holds the spindle and the drive that rotates the workpiece.
High-Speed Steel
A tool steel used to machine metals at high cutting speeds. High-speed steel stays hard at high temperatures and resists abrasion.
Horizontal Turning Machine
A turning machine in which the spindle axis is parallel to the ground.
Indexed
The precise positioning of a tool during an operation.
Inner Diameter Operations
Cutting operations that take place on the interior surface or hole of a cylindrical workpiece.
Lathe
A tool commonly used to machine cylindrical forms. It is generally considered the backbone of the machine shop.
Live Tooling
A feature that equips the turret with power-driven cutting tools such as end mills and drills. These tools can perform cutting operations off-center while the workpiece is held still in the spindle.
Mills
A multi-point tool that is used to remove metal from the surface of a workpiece.
OD Chamfering
An operation performed on a lathe that feeds a tool to create an angled edge on the workpiece.
OD Grooving
An operation performed on the lathe that creates a circular channel or passageway around the exterior of a workpiece.
OD Threading
The process used to machine a long, spiraling ridge down the outer surface of a workpiece.
Outer Diameter Operation
Cutting operations that take place on the outer surface of a cylindrical workpiece.
Parts Catcher
A device used to catch a part once it is separated from the stock in a bar machine.
Reamer
A multi-point cutting tool with straight cutting edges used to enlarge or smooth holes that have been previously drilled.
Reaming
The process of using a multi-point tool to smooth the interior surface of a hole.
Rotational Speed
The speed at which a workpiece spins on a lathe.
Servomotor
A special motor used in CNC machines that turns the ballscrew to move parts with precision.
Single-Point Tool
A machining tool that has one single cutting edge.
Spindle
The device located in the headstock that holds the workpiece in place to rotate it.
Stock
Raw material that is used to make manufactured parts.
Stock Stand
A long structure that supports bar stock as it passes through the bar machine.
Tailstock
The device at the end of a lathe that supports the end of longer workpieces.
Taper Turning
An operation performed on a lathe that feeds a tool at an angle to the length of the workpiece in order to create a conical shape.
Thread
A long, spiraling ridge that winds down the length of a workpiece.
Tolerance
The unwanted but acceptable deviation from a desired dimension.
Toolholder
The device used to rigidly hold a carbide insert in place. Toolholders are available in standardized sizes.
Turning
The machining process used to make cylindrical parts. Turning is commonly performed with a lathe.
Turning Center
A lathe that is controlled by a computer running programs driven by numerical data. Sophisticated turning centers can also perform a variety of drilling and milling operations.
Turret
The component of a lathe that holds a number of cutting tools. The turret rotates to place tools in the cutting position.
Turret Lathe
A lathe that contains a turret. The turret holds several tools for machining.
Vertical Turning Machine
A turning machine in which the spindle axis is perpendicular to the ground floor.
Ways
Two precisely measured, parallel tracks that support and guide the movement of the carriage and cross slide.
Workholder
A device used to hold a workpiece.
