As the names suggest, these taps form the threads by rolling and deforming the material inside the hole. They push the metal out of the way to create the thread roots and base. Cut taps, also true to their name, carve metal away from inside the hole, ejecting chips as they go.
Reasons to Use Roll Form Taps
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When Not to Use Roll Taps
- Threading a through-hole – Form taps may deform the exit hole, which will necessitate a second, time-consuming step to repair. Spiral-point cut taps are the best option for such a job. They push chips ahead of the cutting edges, keeping flutes clean. The chips fall harmlessly out the exit hole as the tap breaks through.
- You’re threading a big hole – Thread-cutting taps require less horsepower than thread-forming taps. Cutting large holes with a form tap requires twice or three times as much torque as with cut taps, which can take its toll when threading large internal surfaces.
- The workpiece is hard –Form taps are suitable only for soft and malleable metals such as soft steel, some stainless steels, aluminum, copper, brass, and lead. Typically, the material to be formed should be less than 32Rc in hardness.
Types of Roll Taps
The bottom 3 to 5 threads on a plug tap are tapered to allow the tap to gradually begin deforming the hole material, creating less stress on the tool and giving the full threading edges a base from which to work.
Regal Cutting Tools has built a reputation for high quality taps and other metalworking tools and an uncompromising commitment to customer service. Regal manufactures a full line of roll taps to suit any application. Regal can even engineer custom taps quickly and affordably. To learn more about Regal’s taps and learn which products are best suited for your workflow, contact our team today.