TVA employees inspect components of a state-of-the-art vertical lathe installed at TVA's Power Service Shops in Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Cutting Edge

Feb 27, 2026

Power Services Shops Unveils Vertical Lathe

The Power Service Shops (PSS) in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, has added a new machine to its fleet – a machine so big, the facility had to be extended just to house it.

With concrete pilings reaching 50 feet into the earth and a foundation load-tested at 1 million pounds, welcoming this new piece of equipment was no small undertaking.

The vertical lathe is a state-of-the-art tool that will allow the PSS to repair and maintain TVA’s assets in-house. It’s a major investment, aimed at increasing TVA’s ability to self-perform work, reduce third-party costs and handle large components that previously required outsourcing.

“When you think about a lathe, most people think about the horizontal kind – like the ones that make baseball bats,” said Robert Rehberg, senior manager of Field and Partner Services. “This, however, is a vertical lathe. You place a component on a 26-foot table that spins, and then you have a machining tool that cuts whatever is programmed.”

But these projects aren’t Louisville Sluggers. They’re headcovers, blade rings and some of the largest hydro components in the TVA portfolio.

The lathe is now fully functional, undergoing final acceptance testing and awaiting production in the coming weeks. Though the lathe offers more work capacity, its operation is similar to that of other machines on the shop floor. Operators at the PSS took a one-week course with the manufacturer on the lathe and an additional three weeks of on-site training to get up to speed on the new capabilities.

When the lathe table starts spinning – at top speeds of 42 rpm – there’s no sign of it stopping. There is already a two-year backlog of work, and the queue only continues to grow.

“We’ve got the machine basically loaded around the clock,” said Corey Saint, PSS manager. “There’s no other electrical utility in the United States that has a vertical turning lathe of this capacity.”

In fact, machines of this type are not readily available for commercial work. Machines of this capacity and type are generally dedicated to Department of Defense work and the aerospace industry.

And it’s not hard to draw attention when you arrive by barge on 15 shipping containers. The project began in May 2022, construction started in April 2024 and now, in early 2026, it has begun operation in Muscle Shoals – ready to care for TVA assets that will power the region for decades to come.

“By doing this work ourselves,” Saint said, “we are securing the energy of the future right here at home.”

Photo Gallery

TVA built an expansion to its Muscle Shoals Power Service Shops to house the vertical lathe

The new vertical lathe expands TVA’s ability to repair and maintain assets in-house.

TVA's new vertical lathe allows for 90-degree machining, grinding features and automatic tool changers.

Testing the lathe’s controls from an enclosure. State-of-the art capabilities including 90-degree machining, grinding features and automatic tool changers.

TVA Power Service Shops Manager Corey Saint

“There’s no other electrical utility in the United States that has a vertical turning lathe of this capacity,” PSS Manager Corey Saint said.

The expansion to the facility at TVA's Muscle Shoals-based Power Service Shops.

Local union craftworkers and PSS employees built the expansion that houses the new lathe.

TVA's new vertical lathe is now fully functional and ready for production in the coming weeks.

The lathe is now fully functional, undergoing final acceptance testing and ready for production in the coming weeks.

PHOTO AT TOP OF PAGE: Employees inspect components of the industrial lathe at the PSS.

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Power Service Shops: Vertical Lathe

The new vertical lathe at the Power Service Shops is one of five Pietro-Carnaghi lathes of the same model and size in the U.S. The other four are dedicated to aerospace at Cape Canaveral. There are 10 worldwide in commercial operation.

To build the foundation for the lathe, crews used 3,000 cubic yards of concrete weighing approximately 6,000 tons. The extension of the shop that houses the machine was built by local union craftworkers and the employees of the Power Service Shops.

The lathe can handle an array of components, including hydro headcovers, bottom rings and shift rings. And it has state-of-the art capabilities, such as 90-degree machining, grinding features and automatic tool changers.

Some other facts:

Max turning height: 16 feet
Table diameter: 26 feet
Table capacity: 200 metric tons