Cutting Tool Applications: by George Schneider, Jr. Cmfge
Cutting Tool Applications: by George Schneider, Jr. Cmfge
Tool o n s
p p l i c a t i
A
By Geor
ge Schneide
r, Jr. CMfgE
Chapter 6
Upcoming Chapters
Metal Removal
Cutting-Tool Materials
Metal Removal Methods
Machinability of Metals
FIGURE 6.7: Dogbone insert tool holders have limited depth FIGURE 6.8: Various OD and ID grooving holders. (Courtesy:
of cut (Courtesy: Iscar Metals, Inc.) Iscar Metals, Inc.)
Thread culate the dimen- to tighten it. Thread fit is the range of
angle Crest sions correctly. tightness or looseness between external
Screw set nomen- and internal mating threads. Thread
Root clature is shown in series are groups of diameter and pitch
Figure 6.9. combinations that are distinguished
The major from each other by the number of
Major Minor Pitch diameter is the threads per inch applied to a specific
Diameter Diameter Diameter largest diameter of diameter. The two common thread
the screw thread. series used in industry are the coarse
On an external and fine series. specified as UNC and
Single Depth thread it is the out- UNF.
Flanks side diameter; on
Helix angle
Pitch an internal thread it 6.5.2 Unified Thread Form
is the diameter at The Unified screw thread has a 60
FIGURE 6.9: Screw Thread Nomenclature. the bottom or root degree thread angle with a rounded root
of the thread. and a crest that is flat or rounded. As
In the early 1800’s, Maudslay also The minor diameter is the smallest mentioned earlier, this is the principal
began to study the production of uni- diameter of a screw thread. On an exter- thread form used for screw thread fas-
form and accurate screw threads. Until nal thread, the minor diameter is at the teners used in the United States. The
then no two screws were alike; manu- bottom of the thread; on an internal Unified screw thread system includes
facturers made as many threads per inch thread the minor diameter is the diame- six main thread series:
on bolts and nuts as suited their own ter located at the crest. 1. Unified Coarse (UNC)
needs. For example, one manufacturer The pitch diameter is an imaginary 2. Unified Fine (UNF)
made 10 threads per inch in 1/2 -in. - diameter that passes through the threads 3. Unified Extra-Fine (UNEF)
diameter threaded parts, whereas anoth- at the point where the widths of the 4. Unified 8-Pitch (8 UN)
er made 12 threads, and so forth. groove and the thread are equal. The 5. Unified 12-Pitch (12 UN)
During this period the need for thread pitch diameter is the most important 6. Unified 16-Pitch (16 UN)
standards became acute. dimension on a screw thread; it is the The coarse-thread series (UNC) is
Despite many attempts at standard- basis from which all thread measure- one of the more commonly used series
ization, it was not until World War I that ments are taken. on nuts, bolts, and screws. It is used
thread standards were developed. The The root is the bottom surface con- when lower-tensile-strength materials
thread profile was designated the necting two sides of a thread. The crest (aluminum, cast iron, brass, plastics,
American National thread form and is the top surface connecting two sides etc.) require threaded parts. Coarse
was the principal type of thread manu- of a thread. Pitch is the linear distance threads have a greater depth of thread
factured in the United States until World from corresponding points on adjacent and are required on these types of mate-
War II. threads. The pitch is equal to 1 divided rials to prevent stripping the internal
During World War II the United by the total number of threads per inch threads.
States manufactured military equipment (P=1/[no.threads/in.]). A screw having a The fine-thread series (UNF) is used
that used the American National thread single lead with 16 threads per inch has on higher-tensile-strength materials
form, which presented interchangeabili- a pitch equal to 1/16 in., commonly where coarse threads are not required.
ty problems with machinery made in referred to as a “16-pitch thread”. Because they have more threads per
Canada and Great Britain. Not until The lead is the axial distance a inch, they are also used where maxi-
after World War II in 1948, did these threaded part advances in one complete mum length of engagement between the
countries agree upon a Unified thread rotation. On a single lead threaded part, external and internal threads is needed.
form to provide interchangeability of the lead is equal to the pitch. The extra-fine thread series
threaded parts.The Unified thread form The depth is the distance, measured (UNEF) is used when even greater
is essentially the same as the old radially, between the crest and the root lengths of engagement are required in
American National, except that it has a of a thread. This distance is often called thinner materials. Eight, 12 and 16-
rounded root and either a rounded or flat the depth of thread. pitch threads are used on larger-diame-
crest. The Unified thread form is The flank is the side of the thread. ter threads for special applications. The
mechanically interchangeable with the Thread angle is the angle between the 8-pitch is generally regarded as a coarse
former American National threads of flanks of the thread. For example, thread for larger diameters, 12 pitch is
the same diameter and pitch. Today it is Unified and Metric screw threads have a the fine series, and 16 is the extra-fine
the principal thread form manufactured thread angle of 60 degrees. Helix is the thread used on the larger-diameter
and used by the United States. curved groove formed around a cylinder threads.
or inside a hole. The relationship between the pitch
6.5.1 Screw Thread Nomenclature A right-handed thread is a screw diameter or major diameter deter-
Screw threads have many dimensions. thread that requires right-hand or clock- mines the helix angle of that thread. For
It is important in modern manufacturing wise rotation to tighten it. A left-hand- example, a 12-pitch (12 UN) thread
to have a working knowledge of screw ed thread is a screw thread that requires with a 1.250-in. major diameter will
thread terminology to identify and cal- left-hand or counterclockwise rotation have a greater helix angle than a 12-
FIGURE 6.10: Grooving and threading tool holders clearance on all diameters to the workpiece rotation. The point gen-
(Courtesy: Valenite Inc.) provide for free movement. erates the typical spiral groove that
Class 2G threads are used on makes up the screw thread with a cer-
pitch thread with a 2.0-in. major diame- most assemblies. Classes 3G and 4G tain pitch. Basically, threading is a
ter. Generally speaking, the lower the are used when less backlash or loose- well-coordinated turning operation with
helix angle, the greater the tensile stress ness is permissible, such as on the lead a form-tool. During the feed passes, the
applied to the bolt for a given torque screw of a lathe or the table screw of a tool is moved longitudinally along the
applied to the nut. The fastener with a milling machine. workpiece and then withdrawn and
lower helix angle will also resist vibra- moved back to the starting position for
tion and loosening more effectively. 6.5.4 Tapered Pipe Threads the next pass along the same thread
A grooving and threading holder is Pipe threads, usually designated groove.
shown in Figure 6.10 and various NPT (National Pipe Taper) are tapered The feed rate is a key factor that has
grooving and threading inserts are threads used for sealing threaded joints to coincide with the pitch of the thread.
shown in Figure 6.11 such as water and air pipes. Most pipe The coordination is obtained by various
threads have a slight taper (3/4-in./ft) means, depending on the type of
6.5.3 Acme Screw Threads and are cut using special pipe taps and machine; lead screw, cam or numerical
Acme screw threads are manufactured dies. Pipe threads can also be machined control (usually handled as a sub-rou-
for assemblies that require the carrying using the taper attachment on an engine tine in CNC). The shape of the groove
of heavy loads. They are used for trans- lathe. produced is determined by the shape of
mitting motion in all types of machine
tools, jacks, large C-clamps, and vises. 6.6 Thread Turning
The Acme thread form has a 29 degree Development of threading tools has
thread angle and a large flat at the crest
come a long way since the days of
and root (see Fig. 6.12). high speed tool-bits and tips ground to
Acme screw threads were designed to shape, which were then slowly fed
replace the Square thread, which is dif-along by the lathe lead screw. Most of
ficult to manufacture. today’s threading is performed by
There are three classes of Acme indexable insert tools as part of a very
threads (2G, 3G, and 4G), each having rapid CNC process. What used to be a
relatively difficult and time-
Pitch consuming part of machining is
now standard procedure as with
Flat any other operation. A typical
(crest)
part that requires a thread is
routinely machined with fixed
29° cycles of numerical control and
Depth a variety of other machine
Flat mechanisms and using tools
(root) which have the right thread
shape. An ID and OD threading
operation with coated indexable
inserts is shown in Figure 6.13.
The principle of single point FIGURE 6.13: OD and ID threading
FIGURE 6.12: General purpose Acme screw
thread thread cutting is the feed move- Operation (Courtesy: Sandvik Coromant
ment of the tool in relation to Corp.)
the insert point, and the feed rate is con- cutting conditions this order is not criti- 6.7 Thread Milling
siderably higher than for ordinary turn- cal. It is vital, however, that inserts Thread milling has been an established
ing operations. always be used with holders of the same method of manufacturing accurate
The relatively small 60 percent point hand. screw threads for many years. Long
angle of the tool makes the cutting edge screws, such as lead screws on lathes
susceptible to the forces and stresses of 6.6.2 Toolholders and Insert and multiple start threads, are often
metal cutting. To counter this, a long Selection manufactured by milling.
established method has been to use the Compared to conventional turning, the Milling a screw thread is done with
thread depth to determine the cutting tool and machining parameters of either a single- or multiple-lead milling
depth, and to avoid machining in one threading are not so flexible. This is cutter. The rotating cutter is fed into the
pass. Instead, the depth is machined in mainly because the feed is related to the work to the required depth. The work is
several passes. The cutting tool opens pitch, the cutting depth is divided into then rotated and fed longitudinally at a
up the thread groove by cutting deeper passes, and the cutting speed is limited rate that will produce the proper lead on
and deeper, usually by making 5 to 16 because of the pointed cutting edge. the part (Fig. 6.14). Any class of fit or
passes, depending on the thread pitch. Indexable inserts are available for thread form can be manufactured by the
As each pass is made, more and more external and internal threading. The thread milling process.
material is removed per cut as a larger inserts for internal threading
part of the edge is engaged. For this are mirror images of the cor-
reason, the depth of cut is reduced suc- responding external inserts.
cessively as the passes are made. Both external and internal Single-rib wheel
It is best to have radial in-feeds which inserts are available in right
decrease successively as the passes are and left-hand versions. Since
performed. The number of in-feed pass- tolerances and cutting geome-
es must be balanced to provide the edge tries differ between external
with sufficient but not excessive cut into and internal inserts, it is
the workpiece. Too much cutting force important that they should not
with insufficient cutting depth leads to be confused.
premature tool wear.
6.6.3 Coated Threading (a)
6.6.1 Left and Right-Hand Threads Inserts
The difference in direction between left The development within
and right-hand threads does not affect thread turning tools has been Multi-rib
the thread profile; it does, however, considerable during the past wheel
have some effect on the choice and thirty years, since the intro-
combination of tools. The method of duction of the first flat inserts
cutting the thread depends on the work- with a loose chip former
piece design. Working towards the clamped on top of the inserts.
chuck is the most common method, Today’s modern inserts have
even though working away from the done away with most of the
chuck is in many cases also satisfactory. possible problems that can
The advantage in using right-hand arise with conventional (b)
tools for right-hand threads and left- threading inserts. This has
hand tools for left-hand threads, is that made threading more closely FIGURE 6.15: Shown are: a) single and b) multiple
the holder is designed to give maximum resemble a turning operation. rib thread grinding wheels
support to the insert. But under normal The multi-purpose PVD