AUTOMATIC LATHE

Cam Lathe

History

Emerged at the dawn of the 20th century, automatic lathes represent the industrial revolution in watchmaking, embodying the need to mass-produce small, highly precise parts and ensure the interchangeability of components. The primary objective and advantage of the automatic lathe is its ability to mass-produce small-sized parts with great precision.

Operating Principles

An automatic lathe is a type of machining tool used for producing rotational parts, such as cylindrical components. The material, typically in the form of rotating bars, is shaped by a cutting tool (usually several cutting tools), with the movements and rotational speeds of the material bar and its feed rate being fully automated.

The automation of the first lathes was mechanical. Various synchronised cams controlled levers that operated all the movements of the machine. This type of machine was widely used until the 1980s, when computers and numerical control systems replaced cams. Modern machines have become more precise, more productive, more autonomous, and more versatile. Known for their reliability, precision, and longevity, many of these “old” cam-operated machines are still in use in workshops today.

Materials, Dimensions, and Precision

Today, automatic lathes are capable of machining all materials suitable for machining, including steel, brass, titanium, aluminium, gold, platinum, plastics, and composites.

In watchmaking, the components produced by automatic lathes typically have a total diameter ranging from a few tenths of a millimetre to around 20mm, with the capability to machine pivots as small as 0.08mm in diameter with micrometre (micron) precision.

Components Produced by Automatic Lathes

Typical watch components produced by automatic lathes include screws, pins, shafts, gears, barrels, and more.