Lathe center

[1] The primary use of a center is to ensure concentric work is produced; this allows the workpiece to be transferred between machining (or inspection) operations without any loss of accuracy.

A part may be turned in a lathe, sent off for hardening and tempering and then ground between centers in a cylindrical grinder.

A lathe center has applications anywhere that a centered workpiece may be used; this is not limited to lathe usage but may include setups in dividing heads, cylindrical grinders, tool and cutter grinders or other related equipment.

Additionally the tip of the center may have an insert of cemented carbide which will reduce the friction slightly and allow for faster speeds.

Dead centers are typically fully hardened to prevent damage to the important mating surfaces of the taper and to preserve the 60° angle of the nose.

[2] It allows higher turning speeds without the need for separate lubrication, and also greater clamping pressures.

Thin-walled material such as pipes easily collapses if excessive force is used at the chuck end.

The biggest advantage is one clamping and can process whole sizes of parts, don’t need to reclamp and then save more time.

It consists of a point backed by a spring to push the cutting tool into the workpiece.