Every time you turn a screw in the battery compartment of a child’s toy or fit a lock to a door, you are using a thread to hold your work firm. The thread is the spiral ring around a screw that holds it in place. But do you know how it is made?
Tapping machines, such as those manufactured and supplied by www.cotswold-machinery-sales.co.uk/roscamat-tapping-machines, are used to create threads on everyday household objects. They do this by either tapping or die threading, depending on whether the thread needs to be applied internally or externally, such as in the case of a screw.
Tapping
Tapping is a process that results in an internal thread being created in a product. This is achieved by first drilling a bottom hole into the product, using an appropriately sized drill bit. It is very important that the right size of drill bit is used – if the hole is too large, the thread will not hold securely, while if the hole is too small, the tap could break.
Once a hole of the right depth and diameter is drilled, a tapping machine is then used to perform a first (taper), second (intermediate) and third (plug) tap, creating the internal thread that is required
Die Threading
Sometimes just referred to as threading, die threading is a process that applies threads to a smooth round rod, also using a tapping machine. The rod is secured in a die wrench which is slowly rotated for one or two turns to create the spiral thread.
It is very important that the rod is held square to ensure that the thread is applied correctly. A nut or guiding tool can be used to check that the thread is applied correctly before applying a rotational force to turn the die wrench a further half turn, then reversing it for half a turn.
This process is conducted two more times to ensure that the thread is correctly applied.
It may sound complicated but with the right tools and a bit of practice, creating a thread is easier than you think.
