Pittler Factory, Germany - 1920s


	email: t ony@lathes.co.uk Home Machine Tool Archive Machine-tools Sal e & Wanted Machine Tool Manuals Catalogues Belts Books Accessories Pittler Factory - 1920s Werkzeug Maschinwnfabrik Leipzip Pittler Home Page By the 1920s Pittler's famous line of trapezoidal bed precision lathes was no longer, the Company now concentrating on their successful line of capstan production machines built as "Revolver" types. These strong and durable lathes differed from what might be termed the conventional capstan type in having their indexing tool turret mounted at 90° to the bed instead of parallel with it. Pittler production lathes were popular and in widespread use, with examples of the maker's multi-spindle automatics being used to turn gear blanks in the Ford transmission plant in Liverpool during the 1980s. The pictures below show the Pittler factory as it appeared during the late 1800s and 1920s - their publication being in a booklet dated 1930.


	Hauptwerke der Pittler-Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft, Leipzig-Wahren


	Assembly Department with trolleys carrying part-finished machined - the direction of travel probably being away from the camera position


	Parts manufacture: a jungle of belts driven from line shafting supplying power to dozens of Pittler "Revolver" capstan lathes


	Larger Pittler "Revolver" capstan lathes. Note the deep windows and minimal artificial lighting - typical of factories built before the 1940s


	Planer Department. The machine in the foreground is an open-sided type with the job mounted on a platform to the side of the traversing head. It appears to be a purpose-built "plano-miller", with either a cutter or grinding wheel mounted to machine bed ways. As what appears to be a dust-extraction tube snakes across the front of the transverse beam, it may have been used for both milling and grinding. The machines were all equipped with an integral drive systems, this obviating the need for an overhead line-shaft drive system and so allowing the roof to be largely glass panelled.


	Planing beds: another view of the Planer Department - taken from the other end of the building


	Capstan lathes down each side of the hall with hand-fitting stations - equipped with rather fine, round-bar vices - down the centre


	Why not use what you manufacture: Pittler "Revolver" turret lathes being used to make - Pittler "Revolver" turret lathes


	A department equipped with lighter-style horizontal milling machines


	Heat-treatment Department


	Drawing Office


	1889 - inside the first Pittler Factory


	Pittler Home Page Pittler Factory - 1920s Werkzeug maschinwnfabrik Aktiengesellschaft Leipzip-wahren email: t ony@lathes.co.uk Home Machine Tool Archive Machine-tools Sal e & Wanted Machine Tool Manuals Catalogues Belts Books Accessories