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The History of Industrial Machine Tools

Machine tools are devices that allow people to make things. They include a variety of different types of machines, including planers, drills, lathes, and more. Some machine tools even use numerical control to operate.
The term "machine tool" is a broader concept than most people realize. Unlike hand tools, which primarily shape and form small objects, these devices allow people to perform much more complex jobs. In fact, they can even execute difficult freehand paths that would be impossible with a human arm.
In the early years of the industrial revolution, a lot of work was done by hand. This included shaping wrought iron. The red hot iron could be hammered into desired shapes. However, this technique could not be used on cast iron. It was not as accurate as it is today, and it did not have the same degree of rigidity as a modern machine tool.
With the advent of new processes and materials, cheaper forging and casting could be achieved. Eventually, machine tools became indispensable for making these parts. Using them enabled manufacturers to achieve mass production, resulting in dimensionally accurate and cost-effective parts.
In the nineteenth century, the need for mass-produced, accurate steam engine cylinders pushed the machine tooling industry to the northeast. There, manufacturers in Cleveland, Ohio, benefited from their excellent transportation routes and the abundance of raw materials on the Great Lakes. Soon, these companies began to manufacture automobiles, ships, and hardware.
A wide variety of people helped bring this technology to America. Among them were renaissance men such as Leonardo da Vinci. Their work allowed for the development of preconditions for the industrial machine tool.
Before the Industrial Revolution, hand tools were limited to cutting only small jobs. To squeeze metallic parts into shape, corrosive chemicals were used. While this process did help to increase mechanization, it also increased the need for more metal parts. Hand tools shaped wagons and ships, but could not produce the dimensionally accurate parts needed by the steam engine.
By the late eighteenth century, machine tools were becoming more and more common. Various types of machine tools were developed, including vertical lathes, floor-type milling and boring machines, and planers. These machines were capable of turning and grinding large quantities of material. As the need for machine tools grew, they were manufactured in a variety of countries. Historically, these tools were built in Britain and shipped to Continental Europe and the United States.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, a large number of trained craftsmen were available to work on machines. Machine tools, however, had to be built with sufficient rigidity and resistance to degeneration. Moreover, a machine tool's capacity for accurate depth of cut is critical.
Today, several public and private research centers are developing new innovations in the machine tool industry. ACE (America's Cutting Edge) is a federally-funded research initiative that focuses on reducing costs and improving productivity for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Through its research, ACE aims to close the skills gap and ensure that the U.S. continues to lead the world in manufacturing.

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