1771-1831

English Inventor and Engineer

Henry Maudslay was an English engineer and inventor who invented a variety of machines throughout his lifetime. Maudslay has been referred to as the father of the machine tool industry. The best known of these was a mechanical lathe that could manufacture threaded screws. Up until that time, threaded screws were built by skilled craftsmen, but did not have the exact consistency needed for some applications. Maudslay designed a lathe that could repeatedly cut the same threads on a screw resulting in identical sets. Maudslay recognized the importance of precision tools that produced identical parts and strived to manufacture them. He was considered a mechanical genius in his day and he shared his knowledge with others. Several other outstanding British engineers such as James Nasmyth (1808-1890) and Joseph Whit-worth (1803-1887), learned their profession from Maudslay.

Henry Maudslay was born in Woolwich...