Used Vertical Turret Lathes For Sale

The Diverse Applicability of Lathe Machines

CNC lathe machines assist in removing metals from the workpiece to make a desired part for production. These machines are used to perform various operations including but not limited to:

• Facing
• Boring
• Cutting
• Knurling
• Reaming
• Counter-Boring
• Chamfering
• Parting-Off
• Grooving
• Forming
• Taper-Turning
• Threading
• Undercutting
• Eccentric-Turning
• Drilling and Turning
• Metal Spinning and Working
• Wood Turning
• Glass Working

Of course, despite the incredible versatility of lathe machines, no single machine, not even a top-of-the-line CNC vertical turret lathe, can do all of the tasks listed above perfectly. It warrants going over the basics of lathe construction and what makes the vertical turret lathe unique.

The Basics of Lathe Construction and Operation

All lathes are composed of a headstock, spindle, chuck, tool post, tailstock, hand wheel, bed, lead screw, chip pan, carriage, apron, saddle, cross slide, guideways, feed rod, and a leg. The headstock holds the gear train, chuck, gear speed control levers, feed controllers, and the main spindle. The lathe will spin the material in a spindle while the cutting tool works to cut the workpiece.  Some benefits to using a lathe are accuracy and the ability to perform repeatable production jobs.

The Vertical Turret Lathe

The CNC vertical turret lathe is also known as a vertical boring mill and is equipped with a turret. These lathes have the material held on a horizontal table that will rotate along a vertical axis. The material also will rotate around the Y-axis while the head moves linearly. A turret slide that is mounted on a cross rail can vertically or horizontally feed non-rotating tools.

The Benefits

Some shops may choose a vertical lathe machine over an engine lathe due to the engine lathe being heavy and harder to set up. These vertical lathes can work on larger material as well. Vertical turret lathes are the best for mass production jobs where repetitive production of duplicate parts is necessary. They are useful when working with large, heavy, short workpieces. The machines can be used in several different industries, such as for jobs where they must cut material into small parts for a toy making production process. Some notable benefits:

• High Accuracy
• Mass Production Capacity
• Smooth Finishing
• Precision
• Material-Use Flexibility
• User-Friendly Design
• Durability and Longevity
• Versatile Machining Capability

With all the benefits there are some disadvantages, as with most machines. One disadvantage of a CNC vertical turret lathe would be that it is not able to cut metals that are round in shape. Another vertical turret lathe disadvantage is that they use a lot more electricity due to the power they have and require much more space in the shop.