Electronic Lathes

Electronic lathes

Within the wide range of lathes available to the metalworking industry are electronic lathes. This type of machinery was developed thanks to advances in software, hardware and firmware technologies and their adaptation to industrial machines.

The lathe: the basis of the electronic lathe

A lathe is a machine tool that works by rotating a workpiece about an axis, in order to carry out different operations such as cutting, sanding, drilling, turning... using tools applied to the workpiece, creating an object with symmetry about that axis. Lathes can produce round, cylindrical or flat surfaces. You can see all the models under industrial lathes.

They are used to shape different materials such as wood, metal and glass, and even in pottery. But each material requires a specific type of machinery. In the metalworking industry, among others, there are electronic lathes.

How does the lathe mechanism work? The workpiece to be machined must be held in a chuck that rotates thanks to a motor. When the chuck turns, so does the material being worked; the workpiece thus comes into contact with a specific tool (depending on the shape it is to be given) that is held on a carriage. As well as shaping the part, this tool cuts away the surplus material in the form of swarf (waste).

Lathes have 3 basic types of movement: rotation, feed movement and tool infeed. By varying these 3 movements and choosing the right tools (shape, cutting edge, material), you can influence the material removal rate, the surface quality and even the shape of the swarf and the wear on the tools used.

Structure of an electronic lathe

Although there are different types of lathe, they all start from the same basis. Starting from a traditional lathe, variations can be added until you arrive at a machine that performs a specific job.

Parts of a lathe:

1. Bed with machined and ground ways for the main carriage and the tailstock.
2. Headstock on the bed with main spindle and chuck.
3. Gearbox to drive the feed mechanism.
4. Main carriage with cross slide for transverse movement.
5. Toolpost.

What are electronic lathes used for?

Applying computing technologies (software, hardware, firmware) to lathes means that the industrial production lines that use them improve considerably and machine production runs more efficiently. To use this type of lathe, it is essential to have staff trained in both mechanical and electronic components. The mechanical side produces the parts, while the electronic side is responsible for controlling the programs that operate the lathe. For example, cutting speed and depth of cut.

Thanks to electronic lathes, parts are made with greater precision; production is also better (they are recommended for large production lines), and fewer staff are required.

Types of electronic lathes

• Copying lathe. This is a type of lathe that is operated by a hydraulic or electronic device. With this machine, workpieces can be turned by following the profile of a template which, as the name of the machine indicates, reproduces an exact copy of the template on the workpiece being machined. They are ideal for machining series of parts that are not very large. For a copying lathe to work properly, it is essential to use a tool that allows the swarf produced to be removed properly.
• Automatic lathe, with a fully automated process. They can be single-spindle or multi-spindle. Single-spindle machines are used to machine small quantities, but more conveniently and consistently, allowing a better part finish. For large parts, it is advisable to use automatic lathes on all axes, including CNC machines previously programmed using CAM, which carry out the machining automatically. Machining on a multi-spindle lathe is quite fast, since all the spindles work simultaneously. The "Swiss-type" or decolletage lathe is very common, since it machines parts quickly; these lathes are ideal for high production volumes.
• CNC lathe, whose correct name is computer numerical control lathe. It is a machine with high production capacity, which also allows high-precision parts to be made and stable production in terms of symmetry between identical parts. Machining is controlled by a computer built into the lathe itself which processes execution commands preprogrammed in CAM software. To use the CNC lathe, it is essential that it has first been set up by an expert in programming, but also in lathe machining. The CNC lathe is recommended for machining series of simple parts in large quantities, or small series of complex parts that require high precision. Thanks to this lathe, it is possible to machine curved and irregular surfaces, grooves, milling, drilling and threading operations through axial and radial movements that allow the lathe tool to move with ease.

Other machines you may be interested in

• Industrial lathes
• Centre lathes

Not sure which machine to choose? Talk to a Heller technician.