Processing Machinery Uses8

Processing Machinery Uses

A wood lathe takes a block of wood and spins it at high speeds while cutting and shaping it into different objects. A lathe machine is a type of processing machinery that is used for many different purposes. It can be used to make simple items such as ball bats, or decorative items such as furniture or stairway parts. The wood turner is responsible for running the machine and creating the two different types of products: functional or artistic.

Processing machinery are responsible for making furniture parts such as table legs, finials, spindles, and stretchers. Decorative serving dishes such as serving trays, platters and bowls can also be made with a lathe machine specially designed for that type of work. A mini lathe is used to manufacture pens, key rings, mechanical pencils along with many other small items. Miscellaneous decorative products such as pepper mills, chess pieces, candlesticks, baseball bats, pool cues and tool handles can also be made with a wood lathe.

In the past, the lathe has always been a hand crafting tool. The advent of processing machinery brought about the motorized lathe. Placing a motor on the lathe allowed for workers to create high quality work in shorter periods of time. The addition of the computer to the lathe machine automated the process, allowing manufacturers to mass produce products without the overhead of an operator for each machine. This is good, but there is still a high demand for hand-crafted products, especially in the furniture industry.

Most processing machinery is capable of turning the wood in two different ways: faceplate turning and spindle turning. Face plate turning is good for creating dishes, platters, and bowls. Items that require cutting or tooling along their length, such as ball bats, table legs, and stairway spindles, are crafted using spindle turning. The method is determined by the direction of the grain in the wood. The wood must be cut in such a way that the fiber does not tear and separate. If it does, it will have a very rough and unattractive finish. This would significantly decrease the value of the product.