Lathes can generally be classified in one of the following five basic groups: engine lathes, speed lathes, turret lathes, vertical lathes, and automatics.
The main purpose of this role is to operate manually controlled turret lathes in a busy engineering environment.
In the late 1960's Bardons & Oliver introduced automatic turret lathes that featured complete fluidic control of a standard machine tool for the first time in history.
In addition, engine lathes are less sophisticated than modern turret lathes and are therefore operated by junior personnel whose hourly rates are lower.
Most important was the turret lathe enabling the carrying out of a range of formerly skilled operations by relatively less skilled labor.