6. Recommended Tapping Speed Intro Tapping Speed The following machining conditions affect tapping speed: kind of taps, workpieces, number of chamfered threads, materials, hole conditionand SP lubricant. It is necessary to select the suitable tapping speed by paying attention to these conditions. When work material has excellent workability, when there is a little depth of tapping, or when tapping lubricant can be sufficient, select rather higher tapping speed. When workability of work material is unknown, to be safe, try nearly the lowest tapping speed at first, and then increase the speed gradually. Following speed is basically for the cutting condition under the use of cutting oil. In case of water soluble cutting oil, please reduce the speed by 30%. SL Tapping Speed - Vc(m/min) Workpiece Materials Spiral Fluted Spiral Pointed Roll Taps Straight Fluted Cemented Carbide PO Low Carbon Steels St44, C10~C25 8~15 10~20 8~15 6~10 - Medium Carbon Steels C25~C45 6~12 8~14 7~12 5~9 - High Carbon Steels C45~C58 5~10 8~12 5~10 5~8 - Alloy Steels CrMo~NiCrMo 5~10 7~10 5~10 5~8 - ST Thermal refined steels 20~45HRC 3~5 4~7 - 3~6 - Stainless Steels AISI 3~8 4~9 6~15 3~7 - Tool Steels 1.2311, 1.2344 5~8 6~10 - 5~9 - Cast Steels SC 6~10 8~13 - 6~10 - ROLL Cast Irons GG - - - 12~17 15~25 Ductile Cast Irons GGG 5~10 5~10 - 5~8 12~20 Coppers Cu 8~12 8~13 25~35 7~11 15~33 Brass · Brass Casting Bs · BsC 11~22 13~25 25~35 10~20 23~33 CARBIDE Phosphor Bronze · PB · PBC 8~15 10~18 25~35 8~15 18~33 Phosphor Bronze Casting Wrought Aluminum Al 15~25 20~25 25~35 15~20 23~40 Aluminum Alloy Castings AlSi 11~22 12~24 15~25 10~20 15~25 Magnesium Alloy Castings MC 7~15 10~20 - 7~15 12~20 LONG Zinc Alloy Diecastings ZDC 7~15 10~20 15~25 7~15 12~20 Thermosetting Plastic Bakelite (phenol-PF) 11~17 12~18 - 10~15 15~25 Thermoplastic resin PVC, Nylon 11~17 12~18 - 10~15 15~25 HAND Titanium Alloys Ti-6Al-AV etc 6~9 6~8 - - - TAPS Nickel Base Alloys Hastelloy, Inconel, Waspaloy 3~6 3~6 - - - EG (STI) Formula Tapping Speed (Vc) Revolution per minute (n) SPECIAL THREADS, GAUGES n : Revolutions per minute (min-1) Vc : Tapping Speed (m/min) THREAD π : 3.14 Dc : Nominal diameter of tap (mm)Dc : Nominal diameter of tap (mm)π : 3.14 MILLS DIES CENTER DRILLS Technical info 643