Nano-coated taps thread cut 30-50% longer

A LMT product story

Edited by the Manufacturingtalk editorial team Feb 29, 2008

A range of nano-coated threading taps for blind and through holes has been developed to extend production life between 30 and 50% over conventional TiCN coated taps.

The LMT Fette IQ Plus tap range for blind and through holes has been developed to extend production life between 30 and 50% over conventional TiCN coated taps.

This capability is due to an 'intelligent' coating development by the German toolmaker, Fette.

The technology, in effect, adapts to the cutting conditions to provide a more consistent and predictable process.

IQ Plus taps are now available through LMT (UK) based in Coventry and will be shown for the first time in the UK at the MACH 2008 machine tool exhibition.

The taps are available in M6 to M14, and UNF and UNC between 1/4 and 5/8in, for threading in steel, heat resistant, stainless and tool steels as well as nitriding and structural steels.

* More consistent performance and longer tapping life - Fette's multi-layer nano-structured coatings have a highly wear resistant base layer adhered to the substrate of the insert with a softer, but tougher IQ Plus sputter coating fused into its surface.

Under cutting conditions and following a few passes in contact with the material being processed, the IQ Plus coating is subjected to micron-compression.

This has the effect of 'running in' or smoothing the outer coated surface that reduces the co-efficient of friction, which in turn reduces the torque requirement for the process.

The soft and hard layer then interact to provide a more consistent performance demonstrating lower wear factors on the tool and so increase the production life.

* Tapping in 42 CrMo4 steel - in recent trials on 42 CrMo4 steel, a M10 x 1.5 IQ Plus tap was run at 25m/min to a depth of 24mm using a soluble coolant.

When compared against the usable life of a standard TiCN coated tap of 1,800 holes, this was improved by 44% to 2,600 holes with IQ Plus, said Fette.

Typical speeds with IQ Plus, either using coolant or cutting dry on plain carbon and free cutting steels, are between 30 and 40m/min.

Heat treatable and case hardening steels can be run between 20 and 30m/min.

Stainless steels can be machined using coolant at between 15 and 20m/min and nitriding and tool steels between 12 and 16m/min.

* LMT Fette at MACH 2008, NC, Birmingham, UK, April 21-25, Hall 5, Stand 5168.