Whether you are looking for a South Bend, Ganesh, Sharp or Monarch used engine lathe for sale 520 Machinery Sales has the used lathe for you.
Engine Lathes
The most common type of manual lathe used in all machine shop applications, engine lathes are a versatile tool for turning cylindrical parts. They can also perform other operations such as end face, grooving, knurling, and threading.
A conventional engine lathe consists of a headstock with gear selectors, a tailstock, and a carriage assembly with saddle and cross slide. It also has a spindle that holds the workpiece and an attached tool. The headstock houses the spindle motor, which provides the rotational power to cut the workpiece.
There are many different types of lathes on the market, including hobby and micro lathes, which are smaller than an engine lathe and sit on a bench or table. These lathes can be found at most home improvement stores and have a swing between 3” and 9”. Other types of lathes include toolroom lathes, which are used for collet work, and brake lathes, which are specialized for turning brake rotors.
Turret Lathes
The turret lathe’s small size, extreme accuracy and ease of set-up make it the ideal machine for second operation work on miniature and microminiature parts. It can relieve larger, more costly machines of the inefficient task of machining these smaller parts, saving on production time and improving quality.
The main feature of this machine is the hexagonal turret head that holds multiple tools. By rotating it, the required tool is indexed to face the workpiece. This allows the machinist to perform several cutting processes in quick succession.
The first widely used turret type is VDI (Vereinigung Deutscher Ingenieure). It has VDI mounting holes and BOT slots in an alternating pattern (6 VDI + 6 BOT). In this variety, the drive of the live tool holder is hidden inside the turret and it neither covers nor interferes with processing. Changing the tool takes more time, as you have to unscrew not one but four bolts. The BOT turret can be combined with a sub-spindle and it has axial and radial live tool holders.
Applications
Lathes are used to perform machining operations on metal or wood to create an object with symmetry around its axis of rotation. They are useful for a wide range of applications, including cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, deformation, facing, and threading. Purchasing a used lathe can help businesses meet their production needs with greater efficiency and precision.
A basic engine lathe is a versatile machine tool that can be tooled up for many one-piece or short-run jobs. But when production demands are high, it is more efficient to use more automated turning machines.
Hollow spindle lathes have extra-large spindles that allow the workpiece to be rotated and cut at both ends for fast, repeated machining. They are useful for large shaft work, bit steel rollers, pump and motor repairs, hydraulic cylinder work, oil country pipe threading, and more. Capstan and turret lathes are more advanced versions of the basic engine lathe and are useful for mass producing identical parts. They have a hexagonal turret in place of the tailstock, allowing multiple tools to be fitted and removed as needed.
Manufacturers
The manual lathe is one of the most common machines found in machine shops and manufacturing facilities. Considered the "mother of all machine tools," it is capable of doing just about anything a factory or shop might need, from shaping a metal object to drilling holes.
Often, a beginner machinist will start out by learning on an engine lathe before moving on to more advanced types of machines. This way, he or she can gain the knowledge and experience needed to work on more challenging projects.
A used lathe is also a good option for an employer looking to hire someone new to the industry. By providing a budding machinist with the opportunity to run a lathe, the company can be sure that the new employee has the required skills to perform the job. Then if all goes well, they can move on to the more advanced types of machines. 520 Machinery Sales LLC has an extensive selection of used and new lathes.
