Almost a year ago, Allen Benjamin, which has been a part of North American Tool,  was purchased by GWS Tool Group. GWS Tool Group is a US-based, vertically integrated manufacturer of highly engineered custom, standard, and modified standard cutting tools, primarily servicing the aerospace and defense, power generation, automotive and medical sectors. GWS Tool Group has acquired multiple businesses in the course of its growth which now serves as the respective manufacturing divisions for the Company.  

Just because there is a new owner, doesn't mean that the quality of an Allen Benjamin Tap has changed! 

If you’re in the market for high tensile strength carbide taps and metric taps, we can assure you that you’re in the right place. Not only is Allen Benjamin a leading supplier of the industry’s most durable, longest lasting carbide taps, we offer our customers the convenience of ordering online. In this day and age, we believe that quick access and top-notch customer services are critical.

In today’s post, we’re going to look at why it is beneficial to order your carbide taps from Allen Benjamin.

Quality
Allen Benjamin carbide taps are highly efficient when tapping abrasive metals such as aluminum, non-ferrous metals, and exotic materials. With a much higher tensile strength than standard taps, their high-quality carbide taps can withstand the rigorous demands of your application.

Selection
Allen Benjamin offers a staggering range      of carbide taps, metric taps, HSSE taps, tapping fluid, extensions, and more. If it’s taps that you are looking for, you can be confident that they’ve got them and have them ready for delivery.

Service
Allen Benjamin guarantees that all of their products will be the absolute best quality, within standard tolerances and dimensions, and consistent with application specifications. If their goods don’t meet your needs, you can contact us for a return authorization.

At Allen Benjamin, they take pride in offering the industry’s best taps. But, more importantly, they aim to provide our customers with access to a simpler, faster way to order their operation’s critical parts, supplies, and components.

If you’ve been searching for a supplier that will meet your needs and rise to meet your challenges contact us today!

​MRO Solutions was founded in 1998, a Family Owned Company featuring products Made in America. The first products launched were their line of specialty High-Temperature Antiseize lubricants. These products prevent seizing of threaded fasteners and protect metal from corrosion, rust, and galling.

Today they offer over 100 products -- Adhesives, Sealants, Threadlockers, Lubricants, Cleaner/Degreasers and many other Aerosol products. All of their Solutions are High Quality, Time-Tested Formulations that stand up to the rigors of the toughest conditions. Click here for MRO Solutions full catalog.

What's a Nacelle? 
The nacelle of a wind turbine houses the drive train and other tower-top components. It's critical that this drive train is in perfect alignment to insure optimal performance of the wind turbine.

​High quality Precision Brand Products slotted shim is the product of choice for this alignment job.

How does the mechanic carry up and then make sure he's picking the correct size 280 feet in the air?
He uses the new Precision Brand Products Up-Tower Shim Assortment!

Contact Browne & Company for an authorized distributor near you.

No RunOut: As a result of Shrink Fit toolholders have no moving parts they offer the greatest repeatability of any tool holding system on the market.

GS from Sowa Tool introduces their new shrink fit tooling with coolant ports
Features and Benefits:

• Unsurpassed Accuracy: Concentricity of <0.0001" (3um) with tool shrunk in holder
• Coolant Ports: Each holder has 4 coolant ports in the nose to ensure coolant gets right to the tool
• Max Gripping Torque: Tool is gripped 360° along the entire length of bore producing very high gripping torque, preventing chatter.
• Balanced: GS follows the strictest balance standards. Holders are pre-balanced to G2.5 at 30,000RPM.
• Material: HSS-H13
• Chip load distributed evenly along cutting edge of tool which results in longer tool life
• Short projections are possible because no mechanical clamping devices are used. This results in greater rigidity and resistance to bending.
  
• Short projections are possible because no mechanical clamping devices are used. This results in greater rigidity and resistance to bending

Sowa GS holders are all forged and traverse ground throughout. Our ER collet chucks are certified balanced up to 30,000 RPM with the nut on the holder. TIR 0.0003" at 4X diameter and DIN coolant through the flange is standard. Contact us today for your nearest authorized Sowa Tool distributor.

How can you optimize a tap's chamfer based on your application?

Although North American Tool/ GWS  stocks many common special taps with standard chamfer lengths, they can design and manufacture a special tap for your application.

​Optimizing the chamfer results in, longer tap life, reduced tapping torque, better finish, and make the difference between success and failure.

As most of you know, the chamfer is the tapered section on the front of the tap. It includes the length, angle, radial relief, and point diameter.

​As the tap rotates and advances forward, each succeeding chamfered tooth enters the drilled hole and takes deeper and deeper cuts until the first full thread on the tap completes producing a full thread in the part. The balance of the tap’s threads within the length beyond the chamfer, do not do any cutting and just goes for the ride.
​

Increasing the total number of chamfered teeth cutting, can increase tap life exponentially.

​The example above shows that a standard plug chamfer (3 to 5 threads) length, so on a 4 fluted tap, it will range between 12 to 20 cutting teeth. Because North American Tool/ GWS understands more is better, they make it a point to manufacture our taps with a chamfer length closer to maximum length, in this case, 5 threads. This is also true for the other standard chamfer lengths Bottom, Semi Bottom, and Taper. 

Although more is better, you may be limited to the length of chamfer due to the job requirements. We should also note that the incomplete threads created and left in the part by the chamfer are not too full thread height and will cause assembly interference, therefore they are not considered part of the required thread length.

As for manufactured specials, knowing your application requirements is necessary for us to design a tap that optimizes performance. For chamfer design, North American Tool/ GWS would need to know, tap drill size, tap drill depth, and full thread length requirement.

Knowing the tap drill size allows us to grind a chamfer with a point diameter that permits the tap to start cutting within the first half thread of entry. Because there are many factors that go into determining a tap drill size, there can be a relatively wide range of diameters. If the chamfer point diameter is smaller than the tap drill diameter, then the tap may not start cutting until the second chamfer tooth or beyond.

Using the same 4 flute, plug tap from the example above, in an application with a tap drill size larger than the chamfer point diameter, such that the tap does not start cutting till the 2nd chamfer tooth, will have a reduction in cutting teeth by 6 (1.5 threads X 4 flutes), or 30%. If the application is such that only a bottom chamfer (1 to 2 threads) can be used, and it is ground to the maximum length of 2 threads it will result in a reduction of cutting teeth from 8 (2 threads X 4 flutes) to 6 (1.5 threads X 4 flutes) or 75%.

Knowing the tap drill depth and full thread length requirement also allows us to design the maximum length chamfer for your application. This may take into consideration the overspin of the machine spindle, or room at the bottom of a blind hole so the tap does not run into any chips that may have made their way to the bottom.

Although the information presented may be confusing, hopefully we have explained the importance of the chamfer, and the many considerations that go into its proper design.

So, if you are ready to increase tap life, reduced tapping torque, improve the finish, and make the difference between success and failure, give us a call with your application requirements.

Advanced Chemical Solutions introduces FormKut Light with a proprietary blend of additives specifically tailored to Hydromat Rotary Transfer machining, providing faster cutting speeds, greater feed rates and higher part quality with superior surface finishes.

Our Formkut light oil formulation is designed for medium to moderately difficult machining on steel, stainless steel, and nonferrous materials. A transparent chlorinated cutting oil allows operators easy visual references to the tooling. 

Formkut light is an economical product that is appreciated by machinists for its lack of odor and non-irritating properties.

Please contact Browne & Company for your closest, authorized, Advanced Chemical Solutions distributor.

Precision Brand® Thickness Feeler Gages are made from high carbon (C1095), close grain, spring steel. The high carbon content ensures that the material does not compress, producing consistent accuracy, which is the most important aspect of this precision measuring tool.

Is Feeler Gage available in metric thicknesses?
Yes, Precision Brand also offers a “true metric” size Steel Feeler Gage. It is made from material specifically manufactured in Europe to precise millimeter thicknesses. Precision Brand Steel Metric Feeler Gage enjoys the same exacting tolerances as its decimal counterpart.

Is Feeler Gage available in materials other than steel?
Yes, Precision Brand offers various types of feeler/thickness gage material for numerous manufacturing situations.

• Brass Thickness Gage will not create a spark when it is inserted. The non-magnetic and non-corrosive properties make its use in highly technical markets, such as electronics and mining, a must.
• Stainless Steel Thickness Gage withstands high temperature and is corrosion resistant. It is ideal for use in aircraft, power/utility, food, and marine industries.
• Plastic Thickness Gage is widely used in computer and automotive applications. Each thickness is color coded so that identification is quick and easy.

You can receive a brochure from Precision Brand Products, Inc. which outlines all the types of feeler/thickness gages offered, just by contacting the customer service department at (630) 969-7200 or e-mail us.

How is Feeler Gage packaged?
Precision Brand Products, Inc. offers a variety of packaging options for the feeler/thickness gage products, depending upon the material desired. Precision Brand® offers 5 inch and 12 inch blades, 25 foot coils, fan blade assortments, poc-kit® assortments and bulk material. You need to refer to the Precision Brand catalog, price book, feeler gage brochure or contact the customer service department at (630) 969-7200 or e-mail us for specific product offerings.