
The torque starts increasing as the threads of chamfer enter the workpiece material. It becomes highest when all threads of chamfer cut into workpiece material, and is in plateau until the chamfer cuts through the workpiece. After that, the torque will decrease until the end of tapping.
Table 1 Specific cutting resistance of each material .
Tc = tanθ 24000 kc×K(D-Do)2 ×(D+2Do) Materials to be cut Specific cutting resistance kc N/mm²
| Material symbols | Hardness | N/mm² | |||
| Tc : Tapping Torque (N-m) | 5t44-2 | 133HB | 3700 | ||
| kc : Specific cutting resistance (N/mm2) | Ck 15 | 141HB | 3600 | ||
| K : | Correction coefficient depending on tap geometry and chips | Ck 35 | 162HB | 3700 | |
| Ck 45 | 188HB | 3900 |
| Ck 60 | 188HB | 4000 | ||
| Do : Bored hole diameter (mm) | 42 CrMo 4 | 193HB | 3600 | |
| θ : | Thread half angle (° ) | 30HRC | 4900 |
40HRC 5500
| kc and K : Refer to Table 1 and Table 2 | X 6 CrNi 18 10 | 209HB | 4200 | |
| C 105 W2 | 175HB | 5300 | ||
| CnZn40 | − | 2300 | ||
| G-AISi8Cu3 | − | 1300 | ||
| GG-25 | 193HB | 2900 |
Table 2 Correction coefficient depending on each tap geometry Coefficient K Materials to be cut ・
Steel Cast iron Aluminum alloys Brass
| Kinds of tap | coarse | fine | coarse | fine | coarse | fine |
| Hand tap plug | 1.35 | 1.15 | 1.25 | 1.08 | 1.60 | 1.12 |
| Hand tap bottoming | 1.43 | 1.50 | 1.30 | 1.25 | 1.68 | − |
| Spiral fluted tap | 1.15 | 1.25 | 1.05 | 1.10 | 0.85 | − |
| Spiral pointed tap | 0.95 | 1.00 | 0.80 | 1.00 | 0.75 | 1.00 |
Cutting torque lines in the test of different kinds of taps, hand tap, spiral fluted tap, spiral pointed tap are shown below. Tapping Condition Tap : HSS P2 M8×1.25 Bored hole size : 6.8mm Cutting speed : 6.1m/min Cutting oil : Water insoluble oil Workpiece material : Ck60 Machine : Drilling machine Tapping type : 10mm Through hole Measurement equipment : Piezoelectric torque tester
Type of tap Torque lines Description
Hand tap (P2) Plug tap (5 threads) Plateau is observed since whole chamfer threads enter the workpiece material. Tapping time is much shorter than that of the taper tap.
Plateau is also observed since whole short Bottoming tap chamfer threads enter the workpiece material. (1.5 threads) Tapping process time is shorter than that of the plug tap. Spiral fluted tap (P2, 2.5 threads) Spiral fluted tap pulls out the chips, good choice for blind hole tapping. The cutting torque of spiral fluted taps is smaller than that of the hand taps. Spiral pointed tap (P2, 5 threads) Spiral pointed tap pushes out the chips forward. It is good choice for through hole use. Cutting torque is smallest in all taps.
The cutting torque will change depending on the kind of taps, cutting chamfer, number of flutes, workpiece materials and their hardness, lubrication types, and chips.