History of Lathe:

Historically, the lathe is the mother of all machine tools. The first application of the lathe principle was probably the potter’s wheel. The modern lathe operates on the same principle. The work is held and rotated on its axis while the cutting tool is advanced along the lines of a desired cut.

The first modern metal lathe was designed in 1794 by Henry Maudslay(1771-1831) of England.

The lathe is one of the most versatile machine tools used in industry. With suitable attachments, the lathe may be used for different operations like(i)Turning (ii)Boring (iii)Drilling (iv)Taper Turning (v)Form Turning (vii)Facing (viii)Spinning (ix)Grinding (x)Chamfering and (xi)Polishing.

Modern technology has led to the development of different types of lathes such as (a) Engine (b)Turrent (c)Single and multiple spindle automatic (d)Tracer (e)Numerically Controlled(NC) and (f)Computerized Numerically Controlled(CNC) lathe.