Interesting Engineering Fact – Lathes

The Egyptians invented the first lathe in approximately 1300BCE. It was a simple device, requiring two people to operate it. One operator used a strap to spin the rig, with the second operator doing the spinning. Fast forward to circa 1751, where Jacques de Vaucanson invented the first fully documented all-metal slide rest lathe. He mounted the cutting tool on a carriage whose constant displacement is powered by a worm drive which is hand-activated.

Commonly used in metalworking, metal spinning, woodturning, and glass working, lathe machines perform such activities as cutting, knurling, drilling, and deforming of tools employed in making objects that have symmetry about the axis of rotation. One of the fundamental machines of industrial mechanics, it’s incredible to see how far technology has advanced.

Newland’s well-equipped machine shop consists of high precision machine tools, capable of performing multi-axis and multi-tasking machining functions, additionally our large capacity EDM Wirecut and in-house Ion Nitriding further enhance our capabilities. Our experienced team of engineers and machinists are competent in all aspects of precision machining and can offer excellent service whether you require a one-off prototype or mass production of a thousand items all fully backed up by our quality management system and quality control department.