KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,

KUMASI

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

BSC. AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING

REPORT ON

USING CENTER LATHE MACHINE TO REDUCE THE DIAMETER OF A

ROD

NAME: AGYEMANG FREDERICK

INDEX NUMBER: 7472723

COURSE: MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 VERNIER CALIPER

Is used to measure both internal and external diameter and depth measure. Main scale on fix
jaw and sliding scale on sliding jaw.

PARTS

a. Depth gauge
b. Sliding jaw
c. Clamp
d. Fix jaw
e. Scale (Sliding jaw)

1.2 CENTER LATHE MACHINE

Center lathe machine: it reduces bigger diameter of metals to small diameters. Thereby
removing unwanted metals from the workpiece to give desired shape and size. It is used for
cutting screw threads, drilling holes and boring holes (increasing smaller holes to bigger holes).
PARTS

a. Head stock: c;loses during mechanism of the machines.

b. Jaw chuck: Holds the workpiece for machining. We have three-jaw chuck and four jaw-
chuck.
c. Tool post: holds the cutting tools for machining tigidly.
d. Compound slide: Short taper turning (possible by setting the compound slide at half of
required angle). It takes a feed cut depth.
e. Cross slide: is rotated to move at right angle to the lathe machine axis.
f. Tail stock: it drills and bores holes and also supports workpiece. It is made up of cast
iron.
g. Bed: forms the base of the machine, supports the cross slide and the tail stock in position.
h. Saddle: it fits over the head and slides along the between head stock and tail stock. It
enables transfer measurement to the work.
i. Carriage: it can be moved along the bed either towards or away from the head stock.
Thereby controls the movement of cutting.
j. Head screw: it is used to transmit power to carriage through gear and clutch arrangement
in the carriage apron. Also cuts the screw thread.
k. Facing: Is an operation of reducing the length of a workpiece to produce a flat surface
square.
2.0 EXPERIMENT

TITLE: Reducing Diameter of a Rod Using a Center Lathe Machine

AIM: Using Center Lathe Machine to reduce the diameter of a 20mm rod to 10mm for
measurement from vernier Caliper

APPARATUS

1. Center Lathe Machine: Used for rotating the workpiece and cutting material to reduce its
diameter.

2. Vernier Caliper: A precision instrument used to measure the diameter of the rod after each
pass.

3. Cutting Tool: The tool mounted on the lathe to perform the cutting operation.

4. Coolant: Used to cool the cutting tool and workpiece during machining to prevent overheating
and ensure smooth operation.

EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE

1. Secure the 20mm diameter rod in the chuck of the center lathe machine.
2. Ensure the cutting tool is properly mounted and aligned with the workpiece.
3. Measure the initial diameter of the rod using the vernier caliper and record the value.
4. Start the lathe machine and set it to the appropriate speed.
5. Engage the cutting tool with the workpiece and begin the first machining pass.
6. After the first pass, stop the lathe machine and use the vernier caliper to measure the new
diameter of the rod. Record the value.
7. Repeat the machining passes, reducing the diameter incrementally. After each pass,
measure and record the diameter using the vernier caliper until the rod diameter is
reduced to 10mm.
8. Apply coolant as necessary to maintain the cutting tool and workpiece temperature.
9. Measure the final diameter of the rod to ensure it is precisely 10mm.
10. Record the final measurement.
RESULTS

Pass Number Diameter (mm) Time/min

1 18.50 2 min
2 17.00 4 min
3 15.50 2 min
4 14.50 5 min
5 12.50 7 min
6 11.00 3 min
7 10.00 7 min

CONCLUSION

The experiment successfully reduced the diameter of the rod from 20mm to 10mm using a center
lathe machine. The vernier caliper provided accurate measurements after each machining pass,
allowing precise control over the material removal process. The application of coolant ensured
the cutting tool and workpiece remained within safe temperature limits, preventing overheating
and tool wear. This method demonstrated the effectiveness of using a center lathe machine for
precision machining operations.