Taps and dies
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Frequently asked questions
When are spiral flute, spiral point and straight flute taps used?
Spiral flute taps lift chips back out and are used for blind holes. Spiral point taps push chips ahead and suit through holes and higher speeds. Straight flute taps suit cast iron and short-chipping materials.
What do tolerance classes 6H, 6HX, 6G on a tap mean?
They describe the tolerance position of the internal thread to ISO 965. 6H is the standard class for most bolts, 6G allows room for plating, and the X suffix indicates an offset band for materials prone to thread closure, such as cast iron or aluminum alloys.
How do taper, plug and bottoming taps in a hand set differ?
The three have different chamfer lengths: taper for starting, plug for general cutting, and bottoming to finish threads close to the bottom of blind holes. For through holes, a single machine tap with a plug chamfer is usually sufficient.
Why do taps break in the hole?
Common causes are an undersized tap drill, misalignment, chips packing a blind hole, or bottoming out. A tapping head with overload clutch, the correct drill size and enough cutting oil reduce the risk considerably.
Can round dies be adjusted?
Split round dies (DIN EN 22568) have an adjusting screw in the die stock to open or close the diameter slightly, allowing a lighter first pass then final size. Solid dies give a fixed size and are more consistent for repeat work.
How do cutting taps and forming taps differ?
Cutting taps make threads by removing material as chips and work in most materials, including cast iron. Forming taps displace metal into a thread with no chips, giving stronger threads, but only suit ductile materials such as mild steel, aluminum and copper, and need a larger hole. Forming taps need good lubrication because friction is high.
How are threads checked after tapping?
Use a GO/NO GO thread plug gauge of the correct tolerance class, for example 6H. The GO end must screw in the full thread length, and the NO GO end must not enter more than about two turns. Checking at set hole intervals catches a worn tap before a batch of bad threads is produced.
How should machine tapping speed be set?
Tapping cutting speed is much lower than drilling, and feed per revolution must exactly equal the thread pitch. On CNC machines with rigid tapping, feed is synchronized with the spindle, while other machines need a tapping head with axial float. Coated and material-specific taps have their own recommended speeds in the maker's catalogue.
