Application-Specific Cold Forming Taps

Emuge Corp.’s InnoForm taps are offered in a selection of custom geometric designs, coatings and styles to address material characteristics unique to specific applications. Thirty different designs, including various shapes and hard surface and/or anti-friction coatings are available to thread seven material groups, including regular steel, soft steels, hardened steels, wrought aluminum alloys and non-ferrous metals, cast aluminum, stainless steels and materials with restricted ductile properties.

The taps are shaped markedly different from other cutting taps, says the company. They are designed to displace metal to thus produce a thread profile formed by pressure.

The tools have a polygon shape and various forming wedges that produce the effective thread profile. The company lists potential benefits of using the taps as increased tooling life, favorable surface quality that produces a smooth, burnished thread and increased static and dynamic strength of the thread. The latter of these can be achieved because of a cold-forming compression process that preserves the material grain integrity, according to the company.