Flat bed turning

Flat-bed turning (flat-bed lathe) is a process that is carried out in a type of lathe that produces long and relatively thin components, for example shafts.

A flat-bed lathe is almost similar to a conventional lathe; both types manufacture round components. The main difference is regarding how the component is mounted in the machine tool. In a flat-bed lathe, the component is fixed using chucks, that rotates the workpiece. There is also a tailstock which holds the workpiece in the opposite end. If turning a long component, there is a risk of it swinging back when the cutting tool touches the workpiece. If it does, it might damage the tool, the workpiece and the machine tool. To prevent this from happening, there is a support alongside the component, on the opposite side of the cutting tool.

A flat-bed lathe can usually turn most round components which are within the size limits of the lathe.