Purchasing or replacing a lathe can be an intimidating process, especially for complex or extra-large components. Before investing in a new lathe, there are many factors to consider such as workpiece material and hardness, type of component (solid, tubing, casting, etc.), workpiece weight (unsupported weight on spindle, between centers), and optional accessories. Clausing experts are here to help you learn some lathe-buying tips to get the right equipment for your unique application.
What to Look for in Your Next Lathe
When you are looking to add a new lathe to your manufacturing operation, it can be highly beneficial to keep a few important factors in mind. Explore what to look for in a lathe below:
CNC vs. Standard Lathe Machines
When exploring lathe buying considerations, the application will often determine the best option; a standard (manual) lathe or a CNC (computer numerical control) lathe.
A standard lathe is ideal for tool rooms, prototypes, and short production runs. Manual lathes rely on the skill of the machinist or operator to set up and manually control axes movement along with speeds and feeds to maintain workpiece profile and dimension tolerances.
CNC lathes are ideally suited for complex one-off prototypes as well as low to high production volumes. The CNC control is programmed to a set of instructions to precisely control speeds, feeds, and axes positioning to machine a component to a specific profile. The versatility and efficiency of these machines increase productivity and profitability.
Lathe Specifications, Accessories, and Options
The type and dimensions of the workpiece being turned will determine the type of lathe, workholding, and any optional accessories that will be required to safely manufacture the component.
Machine Specifications
The first lathe buying consideration is the size and type of lathe to safely support and turn the workpiece. Whether the workpiece is a solid bar, tubing, casting, or weldment will determine the proper setup. Specifications to consider are:
- Swing over the bed – short workpieces and face work.
- Swing in gap – for castings and weldments with large flanges.
- Swing over cross slide – critical for shaft work and O.D. turning applications.
- Distance between centers – important for shafts and workpieces with long O.D. turning.
- Spindle bore – consideration for components that will be held through-the-spindle such as a long shaft while machining the end journals.
- Tailstock – provides on-center drilling and workpiece support and is available in heavy-duty versions for extra-large or heavy workpieces.
- Variable Speed or Geared Head Spindles – Infinitely Variable Speed Headstocks often have multiple gear ranges for better power delivery to the workpiece. Geared head lathes are popular for large and small lathes where minimal speed changes are required.
Machine Accessories and Options
- Workholding: 3 and 6-jaw Universal, 4-jaw independent, face plates, collet chucks, and custom workholding options are available in manual or power (hydraulic or pneumatic) configurations. Power chucking is the most common for CNC lathes.
- Steady Rests: A wide variety of sizes and configurations – stationary closed, stationary open, follower rest, roller rest – are available to provide additional workpiece support to eliminate chatter and deflection during the machining cycle.
- Tool Post: Quick change tool posts and automatic turrets reduce tool-to-tool time to increase productivity. Programmable automatic multi-station turrets are most common on CNC lathes.
- Other common accessories for manual lathes include taper attachments, digital readouts, and micrometer carriage stops.
- For CNC lathes, common accessories can include C-axis spindles with live tooling, probing cycles, workpiece loaders and unloaders, and many custom options and accessories.
Request a Quote for CNC Lathes From Clausing Today
Clausing is one of the top lathe manufacturers in the world. We have one of the widest ranges of manual lathes and CNC lathes in the market. Our expert customer service team is here to help you identify the right lathe and options for your unique application. Request a quote from Clausing today!
