Automatic lathes are computer-controlled machines primarily used for metalworking, with six spindles for simultaneous machining. They can work with wood and glass but are not suitable for low-volume work. Common operations include shaping and threading.
Automatic lathe, or machine lathe, units are lathes that receive commands from a computer or control panel and then operate automatically. While these lathes can work on a variety of materials, they are primarily made to work with metal. The typical design of an automatic lathe includes six spindles, allowing the lathe to machine six pieces of metal simultaneously. Common operations for a lathe include forming shapes and tools and threading metal into screws and drill bits.
Common lathes, especially those that work with wood, are worked by hand. It starts with the worker attaching the material to the lathe via two connectors. The lathe is only automatic as it spins the material automatically with the connectors. Cutting is done manually by the operator moving a cutting unit in and out against the material to form a shape from the material.
An automatic lathe is all controlled by the machine. The operator feeds metal into the machine’s lathe and then enters commands via a control unit. After entering the commands, the lathe machine follows the instructions and produces the piece according to the entered measurements. Unlike manual lathes, automatic lathes aren’t made for low-volume work. All machine lathes are built to produce medium to low volumes of equipment.
The material on which an automatic lathe can be used is varied, including wood, metal and glass. Most mechanical lathes aren’t made for wood or glass, it was thought; most are created to work with metal. This is mainly due to the fact that metal is more difficult to machine and is the most used material in high volume production.
Unlike most lathes, which are made to hold one or two pieces of material, the common configuration for an automatic lathe is to hold six pieces of material. You don’t need to fill all six slots for the lathe to work, so you can do small jobs as well as large jobs. With most drives, the lathe can be made to produce an entirely different shape for each piece of material the lathe holds.
The two common operations for an automatic lathe are shaping and threading. Shaping is used to form metal tools or to create components for larger machines. The lathe will dig into the metal to form any shape the operator needs. A thread unit creates threads in materials, such as those found on screws or drill bits.
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