What You Need To Know About Choosing The Right Thread Tap

Whether you want to repair a damaged thread or you need to thread virgin material, you want to ensure that you choose the right thread tap for the right job. Often, thread taps encounter friction and are likely to wear and tear or even experience breaking. Finding a quality thread tap ensures that you do your threading properly and attain good results without imperfections. Here are tips to help you choose your UN and ACME thread taps:

The Type of Tapping Tool

Tapping tools come in different types – spiral point tap, straight flute tap, forming tap, and spiral fuse tap. The type you select depends on the kind of hole you ware threading and whether it’s blind hole or it’s through hole. Also, the component of the material you thread will determine the type of threading tool you select.  A cutting tap allows the tap to cut the material generating chips. There are also forming taps that are considered to be much faster compared to ordinary thread cutting. The forming taps can cut deep threads down without having chip removal problems. Besides, forming taps allow a longer tool life. 

Thread form and Material

You find that tapping tools like ACME thread taps come in different thread forms. It is important that you determine the thread form that you need. Different thread forms are used in different application areas.  Usually, thread forming taps do not cut threads; instead, they do what is called cold forming. The threads made using the cold form are referred to as rolled threads. This process involves the metal being pushed out and compressed into position instead of cutting it. That’s why you don’t see chips coming out when threading the material. 

Threading Chamfer Type

A tap chamfer is typically the threads’ tapering that distributes a cutting active over numerous teeth. The hole you are tapping will determine the type of chamfer you need to use. There are different types of threading chamfers. Long chamfers, for example, ensure high torque, thin chips, long tool life, and best surface quality. These are common with UN thread taps with a spiral point. 

Medium chamfers have low torque and produce normal thick chips. They ensure normal tool life and ensure good surface quality. These are common within spiral flute taps. Short chamfers offer shorter tool life and extreme design. They ensure low torque and produce thick chips. These are used particularly when there isn’t much clearance within the bottom of a hole. 

These are some of the technical details and information you want to know about thread taps like UN thread taps. It helps you choose the right thread tap for the right threading job.