2.72: Elements of Mechanical Design

"Lathe Class" — Precision Mini-Lathe

Contributed thermal modeling, testing, and housing manufacturing to a team project designing, modeling, and manufacturing a precision lathe accurate to 0.002".

Precision DesignThermal ModelingManufacturing

Highlights

Personally responsible for the thermal model and testing, plus housing manufacturing
Built a Timken bearing power-loss model feeding a thermal resistance network to predict component temperatures, expansion, and preload loss
Measured spindle and housing temperatures and cross-checked them against the thermal model
Measured system stiffness with dial indicators and force gauges to validate FEA predictions
Every functional requirement — repeatability, accuracy, thermal sensitivity, load capacity, stiffness — was met

Machined headstock housing held in hand — Machined headstock housing

Full lathe assembly on the bench — Completed lathe assembly

Functional requirements table with measured results — Functional requirements: modeled vs. measured results, all met

Hand-drawn thermal resistance network sketch — Thermal resistance network derivation

Lathe spindle mounted for thermal testing — Spindle setup for thermal testing

Thermal camera readout of the spindle — Thermal camera readout during testing

Dial indicator and force gauge stiffness measurement setup — Stiffness measurement with dial indicator and force gauge

FEA stress result on the headstock — FEA stress results used to validate stiffness targets

Handwritten machine shop tolerance notes — Machine shop manufacturing tolerance notes

CAD render of the carriage assembly — Carriage assembly CAD render