Today’s lathe operations are very accurate but no matter what you do, centering is important. But what are centers and how many types are available from manufacturers like Sowa Tool and others? Let’s take a closer look at centers and check out some of the choices you have.
What are Centers?
With lathe operations, you need something turning on an axis and it has to be balanced. Centers are designed to position your work piece exactly where you need it for your procedure. Centers are carefully ground down to a point and there is usually a 60 degree angle created, except for heavy work which requires a 75 degree angle.
It’s necessary for turning operations to be centered in order to produce concentric results. Accuracy is very important because one piece may need several operations. For example, it could be turned, hardened and then tempered. Unless the work piece has been properly centered, the process could lose some of its accuracy and quality will suffer. This is why companies like Sowa Tool take great care to produce precision centers.
Centers provide valuable support for work pieces. For instance, some pieces are subject to deflection while turning and when they are held in place firmly, this does not occur.
Which Kind of Center?
There are two basic types of centers. They can be fixed (dead centers) or they can rotate with the work piece. Dead centers can create a great deal of friction so they need lubricant or the piece could become welded.
If you have special dead centering requirements, you can order a soft or unfinished dead center. One can machine these centers for specific needs.
Live centers rotate and create much less friction than dead centers. They are commonly used in CNC operations. There are several other types to consider and your Sowa Tool distributor can help you with your decision.
