Thread Milling - Tool Materials and Geometry Angles
Thread milling is a process of cutting threads on the surface of a piece of solid material, usually referred to as the “workpiece”. Thread mills are used to remove material from the outside of a workpiece, creating threads that match a pre-determined design. It is an efficient and cost-effective alternative to other types of milling and threading processes.
A thread mill is an end mill cutter, with special geometry, respectively. The unique geometry is used to create threads within a workpiece. The threads are produced by a rotating helical cutter, which moves along two axes, applied to the surface of the workpiece. As the cutter travels around the workpiece, a series of grooves are cut into the material, producing the thread.
The tool material and geometry angles of a thread milling cutter are critical to the thread quality. Different types of thread mills are available in the market and have different applications. Thread mills are usually made of high speed steel or carbide. In general, the high speed steel thread mills provide better strength and toughness, while the carbide thread mills are suitable for creating faster and deeper threads. The threads are developed faster and are less susceptible to fatigue than steel thread mills.
The geometry angle of the tool is also an important factor in successful thread milling. Generally, the thread mills come in three different geometry angles; coarse angle, standard angle, and fine angle. The coarse angle is used for coarse threads and for threading over a great depth. The standard angle is used for small threads, like within weak materials and fine angle is used for very fine, shallow threads. The angle of the thread mill also affects the strength of the thread and can be used to prevent the thread from slipping under high torque.
The design of the thread mill is also important in the threading process. The thread mill can be designed with a number of distinctive features depending on the type of thread required. The Number of teeth, chip clearance and helix angle are important variables in thread mill design since they control the speed and accuracy of the cutting.
All in all, thread milling is a cost-effective and efficient process of threading strong, tight-fitting threads on harder materials. Its success depends on selecting the right tool and geometry angles of the cutter. Thus, understanding the tooling materials and cutter geometry angles is essential in order to successfully utilize the thread milling process.
