cut tap or form tap works best on 304 stainless

Work hardening also applies when tapping stainless steel by hand. This toughening of stainless steel due to heat is a phenomenon known as work hardening.Įventually, the drill will have to work harder, which will reduce the lifetime of the drills you are using for stainless steel and increases the risk of breaking. If the cutting speed (RPM) is too high and the feed is too slow, the drill will rub the stainless steel instead of cutting it, generating heat and toughening the work material. Why is Stainless Steel Harder to Drill and Tap? If you have been working with stainless steel for a long time, you will know that high speed and brute force may not work well when using stainless steel. However, stainless steel can become hot and challenging for drilling and tapping if your cutting tools are not used properly. As a result, it is one of the most common materials for building, DIY projects, decorative elements, transportation, and storage. On high strength materials, increase drilled hole size.Stainless steel is a versatile material that is well-known for its durability and anti-corrosive characteristics.Use rigid / synchronous tapping attachment.Choose correct tap with higher rake angle and relief.On forming taps, use slightly larger drilled hole size.Check tap alignment and that workpiece is fastened steadily.Reduce feed rate (revs x pitch) or use rigid / synchronous tapping attachment.Check tap tolerance is compatible with requested workpiece (nut) tolerance.Use tapping attachment with slip clutch.On blind holes, check that tapping depth is less than hole depth.Check alignment between tap and drilled hole.Choose correct tap with lower rake angle and/or higher relief.Improve quality and quantity of lubrication.Use tap with sharp cutting edge (bright tap or vapourised tap).Choose correct tap with suitable rake angle and relief for specific application.Use recommended cutting parameters for specific application.Choose coating suitable for specific application.Use correct tap, with more relief or longer chamfer if possible.

Improve quality (richer emulsion, neat oil) and quantity (higher pressure) of lubrication.

For deep blind holes (≥ 2,5xD) use taps with back-tapering.

Check tap alignment and run-out of tap on tapping attachment.

Check drilled hole size is not too small.

Choose correct tap, with lower rake angle or longer chamfer.

Nodular cast iron, malleable cast iron, tempered cast ironĪluminium wrought and die cast alloys with Si 10% (short chipping)Ĭopper alloys (long chipping), soft brassĬopper alloys (short chipping), hard brass The oil grooves improve lubrication in the chamfer area making these taps suitable for threading deep holes.įerritic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, precipitation hardening No chips are produced during the tapping process. These tools produce threads through plastic deformation of the workpiece material. This geometry is suitable when tapping through holes on materials which produce continuous chips. This design ensures spontaneous chip evacuation in the feed direction. The spiral point or gun nose is produced by a high helix angle combined with an increased rake angle in the front area of the tap. The interrupted threads avoid chips sticking to the thread flanks and consequent damage of the tap.

The large flutes and high helix angle ensure efficient chip removal on long-chipping light alloys such as aluminium.įor tapping soft and mild materials such as iron, aluminium etc. SPIRAL FLUTES, 40° RIGHTHAND SPIRAL, FOR LIGHT ALLOYS The high helix angle ensures the evacuation of chips from deep blind holes. These taps improve chip evacuation and are well suited when tapping blind holes of medium depth on tough materials. These taps are used on steels with normal strength and toughness (R=750 N/mm2) as well as on short-chipping abrasive materials (grey cast iron, bronze, etc.).

Cut tap or form tap works best on 304 stainless