Fast Facts
Welcome to our fast facts page.
- What is a lathe?
A dictionary definition of a lathe is as follows: "A machine for turning wood, plastic or metal into cylindrical or conical parts or for cutting holes or screw -threads in them. The piece to be worked is held in a rotating plate or chuck so that a cutting tool can be held against it."
- What are they used for?
They are used to produce a mass of repetition machined components, prismatic and turned. Items from screws, nails, tubes, axle housings, gears etc. or more specifically plastic high precision plungers for the glass containers industry.
This involves machining from solid and cast components in mild stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminium.
- What 600 Group Companies have helped Colchester to achieve its success?
The companies that make up the Machine Tool Accessories Division; Pratt Burnerd International, Crawford Collets and Gamet Bearings who produce a wide range of chucks, collets, tool holders, precision bearings and other machine tool accessories.
- Did you know?
A lathe comprises more than 3,500 components.
There are in excess of 73,000 Colchester lathes in the USA and more than 40,000 in Germany.
A Harrison lathe retains its value more than any other lathe on the market!
Ford, Harley Davidson, Rolls Royce and British Aerospace are amongst buyers of Harrison lathes.
Colchester-Harrison's spares division (based in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire) regularly supply 'wear' parts for machines more than 50 years old.
Colchester-Harrison is part of Europe's largest UK based machine tool manufacturer, 600 Group, and has the largest lathe factory in Europe.
Colchester-Harrison lathes are marketed through 600 Group subsidiaries in North & South America, Australia, South Africa, France and Germany.
BS EN ISO 9002 certifies that the Quality Management System at Colchester-Harrison has been extremely audited and fully complies with all requirements.
