A winch lathe uses a rotating turret to quickly change cutting bits for creating the same parts repeatedly. Newer machines may use computer numerical controls for time savings, efficiency, and tight cutting tolerances. Manual capstan lathes require mechanical blocks to be placed by hand.
A winch lathe is a milling machine used to create the same parts over and over again. The cutting bits are mounted on a rotating turret known as a capstan, which allows the user to quickly change the orientation of the bits for cutting without having to remove the first bit and then mount the second. A piece of raw material, also known as a blank, is fitted into the winch lathe and is then spun at a high speed. Cutting tools, sometimes known as knives, are then used to cut away the blank to create a new shape or design.
When a new shape or design needs to be cut on the same blank, the tool turret can be rotated and a different knife can contact the rotating blank. This makes the winch lathe fast and easy to use, which is important when the user creates the same part over and over again from various blanks. All the tools are already mounted on the winch lathe, and with a simple rotation of the turret, the user can make the necessary cuts. Older machines require the user to manually rotate the turret.
Newer machines may use computer numerical controls (CNC). A computer can be programmed to rotate the stock at a specific speed, adjust the depth and contact of the tool, and rotate the capstan or turret as needed to create the correct cuts. The benefits of a CNC winch lathe over a manual lathe include time savings, efficiency, and tight cutting tolerances. The computer ensures that all blanks are cut within a certain tolerance, creating a uniformity between parts that most consumers or customers will demand. A CNC hoist lathe operator will need to monitor the machine once it is programmed and will need to add or remove blanks from the headstock, but otherwise the machine will do much of the cutting without any human interaction.
Manual capstan lathes can also index tools into a specific location to create parts repeatedly, but the mechanical blocks will need to be placed by hand before the operation begins. The user will place bars or blocks strategically for each successive tool that will make the cut, and those blocks will need to be removed and then replaced if a different part is to be made. This adds some time compared to a CNC machine, but saves time compared to other styles of lathes that don’t have capstans.
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