Manufacturing processes

Experiment # 1
Experiment Title:
To perform turning, facing and taper turning operations on a given workpiece using lathe
machine.

Objectives:
 To know about the parts of lathe machine.
 To understand the three operations of lathe machine (Turning, Facing and Taper
Turning)

Lathe Machine:

Figure 1: Universal Lathe Machine

Theory:

Introduction:
What is a Lathe Machine?
A lathe machine is a machine tool that is used to remove unwanted material from a rotating
workpiece in the form of chips. This is accomplished with the use of a tool that traverses
across the workpiece and feeds into it.
The machine is used to accomplish all fundamental operations, including drilling, sawing,
tapping, and turning, among others, with the aid of various tools located in the work area.
Hence, the lathe is also referred to as the “Mother of all machines.”
Andrei Nartov, a Russian engineer, created one of the earliest lathes in 1718. It featured a
carriage for holding mechanical cutting tools and a system of gears.

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In the 1950s, servomechanisms were applied to the numerical control of lathes and other
machine tools, which were frequently linked with computers to produce computerized
numerical control (CNC). Both manually driven and computer numerical control, or CNC,
lathes are used in the industry today. [1]

Parts of lathe machine:

Parts of Lathe Machine are following
 Headstock
 Bed
 Tailstock
 Carriage
 Saddle
 Cross-slide
 Compound rest
 Tool post
 Lead Screw
 Feed rod
 Chuck
 Spindle

Headstock:
The headstock is mounted on the left side of the lathe bed. Its primary duty is to transmit
electricity to the components. It is a housing for a spindle where a chuck or live center is
provided that holds one end of the workpiece as it rotates. Also, it contains a necessary
transmission system with levers for changing speeds. [2]
Bed:
The bed of the lathe machine serves as the foundation upon which all other components are
installed. The bed is supported by large box-section columns and is made of cast iron or a
nickel cast iron alloy. The bed itself is mounted on the legs which are bolted to the ground.
[2]
Lathe Chuck:
Chucks are specialized clamps made to hold objects having radial symmetry such as
cylinders. They typically have jaws to secure the workpiece. The jaws (or dogs) are organized
in a star-like configuration with radial symmetry. [2]
Lathe Spindle:
An essential rotating part of a headstock is the spindle. It contains a shaft that transfers rotary
motion to the chuck, thereby turning the workpiece. It is supported by two sets of angular
contact ball bearings to help handle both radial and axial loads. [2]

Tailstock:
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The tailstock is a moveable casting opposite to the headstock that is mounted on the
guideways on the bed. It holds tools for operations like drilling, reaming, tapping, etc., and
supports the opposite end of the workpiece during machining. It includes the dead center,
adjustment screws, and handwheel. [2]
Dead Centre:
The workpiece is held in place while it is rotating using a dead center (not freely rotated, i.e.,
dead). There may be friction on the dead center due to the rotation of the workpiece when
employed in the stationary position. The pointed end of it is placed touching the other end of
the workpiece to avoid an abrupt stop in rotation and reduce friction. [2]
Carriage:
The carriage can be found in the area between the tailstock and headstock. During operation,
the carriage serves as a guide, supports, and feeds the tool against the workpiece. The
following parts are on the carriage. [2]
Saddle:
It is cast in the shape of an H and installed on top of the lathe. It supports the cross-slide, the
compound rest, and the tool post. Manual or automatic feeding is employed to move the
saddle. [2]
Cross Slide:
It is positioned on the saddle such that it is perpendicular to the bed. One side of the cross
slide is equipped with a female dovetail, and it is joined on top of the saddle using its male
dovetail. The cross-slide hand wheel is turned to move the cross slide at a right angle to the
axis of the lathe. [2]
Compound Rest:
The compound rest joins the cross slide with the compound slide using a tongue-and-groove
joint. It supports the cutting tool and tool post during the drilling of short tapers and shapes
on forming tools. [2]
Tool Post:
The tool post is mounted on the compound rest and is used to carry cutting tool holders. The
holders are supported by a wedge with a bottom that fits into a ring with a concave surface. It
is attached to the upper slide. The tool post is positioned on the top of the compound slide to
securely hold the tools. [2]

Operations Perform at Lathe Machine:

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 Manufacturing processes

Turning:

Turning is a machining process to produce parts round in shape by a single point tool on
lathes. The tool is fed either linearly in the direction parallel or perpendicular to the axis of
rotation of the workpiece. The primary motion of cutting in turning is the rotation of the
workpiece, and the secondary motion of cutting is the feed motion. The operation in Figure-2
is the turning operation. This operation is used to reduce the diameter of a part to a desired
dimension for the desired length of job. The resulting machined surface is cylindrical. The
reduction in diameter of the job depends upon the depth of cut chosen. For example, if the
depth of cut is 2 mm it will reduce the job diameter by 4 mm. The tool used for the turning
operation is called turning tool. [3]

Figure 2: Turning [3]

Facing
Facing is the operation of machining the end or face of the job. Facing is used for reducing
the length of the workpiece by machining or cutting the end face of workpiece. Facing
operation is carried out by using a turning tool. The operation involves feeding the tool
perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the workpiece from outer surface to centre. Note that
in case of facing operation, the length of tool travel is equal to half the diameter of the job.
The depth of cut is along the axis of the job. The facing operation is shown in Figure 3.
Facing produces a flat surface. [3]

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 Manufacturing processes

Figure 3: Facing [3]

Taper turning using a form tool:

The form tool has a straight cutting edge set at the desired taper angle. Form tool is a replica
of the taper to be produced i.e. the angle between the straight cutting edge and the rotational
axis of the job equals taper angel a or one half the included angle of the taper. The tool is fed
against a rotating job. The shape of the tool is reproduced on the workpiece. This method is
limited only for short length tapers. Figure 9 shows taper turning using a form tool. [3]

Figure 4: Taper Turning [3]

Advantages of a Lathe Machine:

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 Manufacturing processes

Lathe machines have been referred to as the ‘mother of all machining tools’ as it offers
r a n g e of purposes i.e. [4]

 High Accuracy and fast operation.

 High Productivity.
 High Speed.
 Saves time and money.

Disadvantages of a Lathe Machine:

Some of the disadvantages in using a lathe machine are: [4]

 Highly-skilled operators.
 High cost and weight of the machine.
 Constant maintenance.
 Limited structures and shapes.

Procedure:
Facing Operation:
 The work piece is placed in the chuck and the chuck is tightened using a chuck key.
 The cutting tool is placed in the tool post and the screws are tightened.
 The cutting point of the tool is matched with the center of the workpiece.
 Then the tool’s tip is touched on the surface of the work piece and the reference is set on
the cross – slide’s hand wheel.
 Using compound slide, bring the tool near the workpiece
 Now using cross slide, start cutting the workpiece up to desired length by moving the tool
perpendicular to the feed axis/workpiece. The rpm for facing will be 590rpm.

Turning Operation:
 The workpiece is placed in the chuck and the chuck is tightened using a chuck key.
 The cutting tool is placed in the tool post and the screws are tightened. The cutting point
of the tool is matched with the center of the workpiece.
 Then the tool’s tip is touched on the surface of the work piece and the reference is set on
the cross – slide’s hand wheel.
 The carriage is brought to the point from which turning begins. With the tool away from
the
Work piece, the lathe is turned on.
 Cross slide is moved to the reference on the scale and then give a 1mm depth. The
carriage is moved to the end of work piece and the tool cuts through the work piece to a
1mm depth.
 This is repeated for as long as the required depth of material is removed.
 The movement of the carriage may be automated with a suitable mechanism i.e. either by
lever or by pressing a button.

Taper Turning Operation:

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 Manufacturing processes

 The workpiece is placed in the chuck and the chuck is tightened using a chuck key.
 The cutting tool is placed in the tool post and the screws are tightened. The cutting point
of the tool is matched with the center of the workpiece.
 Rotate the compound slide of the required angle.
 Then the tool’s tip is touched on the surface of the work piece and the reference is set on
the cross-slide’s hand wheel (this is actually the depth of cut).
 The carriage is brought to the point from which taper turning begins. With the tool away
from the work piece, the lathe is turned on.
 Rotate the compound slide handle and you see taper turning of the tool is starting.
 This is repeated for as long as the required depth of material is removed.

Working parameters:
 Workpiece material: Aluminum
 Cutting Tool: High speed steel
 Liquid: Cutting oil
 Cutting speed: 590rpm
 Feed rate: 0.07mm/s
Comments:
 Make sure that the tool comes in between the center of the workpiece.
 Proper chip evacuation must be ensured to prevent chip buildup and tool breakage.
 Never stop the carriage while the tool is in contact with the work piece.
 Tighten the tool post securely to prevent it from moving during a cut.
 Make sure that the workpiece is properly clamped to prevent vibrations during turning
process.
 Make sure that the tool being used is harder than the material of the workpiece.
 Check the cutting parameters before cutting to ensure dimensional accuracy.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this lab report has discussed the theory behind universal lathe machines and
their applications in manufacturing. Through practical experimentation, we have
demonstrated the process of facing, turning and taper turning on a universal lathe machine
and the key considerations that need to be considered in order to achieve a successful result.
We have shown that choosing the right tool, setting the correct angle and depth of cut, using
the correct speed and feed rate, applying lubricant, and monitoring the workpiece are all
critical factors in ensuring that process is performed correctly on a universal lathe machine.

References

[1] 04 04 2024. [Online]. Available: https://testbook.com/mechanical-engineering/lathe-machine-

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diagram-parts-and-types.

[2] 04 04 2024. [Online]. Available: https://testbook.com/mechanical-engineering/lathe-machine-

diagram-parts-and-types.

[3] 04 04 2024. [Online]. Available: https://msvs-dei.vlabs.ac.in/mem103/Unit5lesson4.html.

[4] 04 04 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.tramarindustries.com/2021/12/08/advantages-and-

disadvantages-of-a-lathe-machine/.

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