E-Archive

Articles

in Vol. 19 - July Issue - Year 2018
Threading Tools
Tap

Tap

Thread Formers

Thread Formers

Fibre flow in cut threads (left) and formed threads (right)

Fibre flow in cut threads (left) and formed threads (right)

Comparison of production processes: With the OTEC Pulsfinish, production steps can be saved

Comparison of production processes: With the OTEC Pulsfinish, production steps can be saved

Stream finishing machine with Pulsfinish

Stream finishing machine with Pulsfinish

Tap unprocessed (left) and processed (right) in OTEC machines

Tap unprocessed (left) and processed (right) in OTEC machines

In the Spotlight

OTEC GmbH offers precise technology for perfect surface finish. OTEC machines for deburring, grinding, smoothing and polishing guarantee an efficient and perfect surface finish of tools and products. Operating a worldwide distribution network comprising over 60 agencies, OTEC is represented locally for international customers from various industries. Thousands of customers benefit from the extensive know-how of the technology leader OTEC in the development of a perfected interplay of machine and process media.

Customized Process For Different Requirements

During the manufacturing of metal workpieces it is very often necessary to machine threads; mainly, when the workpieces have to be mounted or assembled to other parts, screw connections are unavoidable. Generally, there are two different ways to create threads: cutting (‘taps’) which is the most popular one and forming (‘forming tools’).

Thread forming has the advantage that the microstructure is just deformed. In this way the fibre flow is not broken, which increases the material strength and extraction force. As different as the processes for thread cutting and thread forming are, so are the requirements for the tools.

During the manufacturing of taps, the grinding process creates burrs between the thread profile and the chip flute. Burr-free grinding is simply not possible, so extensive finishing is absolutely essential. If the taps are not deburred, then adverse effects on the geometry of the cutting edge cannot be excluded. What is more, burrs on uncoated tools can interfere with the cutting edge during chip removal or break off and damage the cutting edge, thereby considerably reducing tool life, impairing the quality of the surface and degrading dimensional stability.

Even in the case of thread formers, the conventional production process leaves traces on the tool surface. This results in fine grinding ridges, which have a negative influence on the friction between the tool and the material to be deformed. The ridges also favour the fixing of the material in the forming grooves.

OTEC has developed several surface finishing processes of threading tools. In stream finishing machines with pulse drive (Pulsfinish) the tools can be processed reliably, quickly and economically according to the requirements. The principle of the pulse finishing system is based on the precisely defined and rapidly repeating relative movement between media and workpiece. Here the clamped workpiece is immersed in the media stream of the rotating drum where it is quickly accelerated to a speed of over 2,000 rpm. Then it is decelerated again and accelerated once more. The differing speeds resulting from the inertia of the media in the drum and the rapid change of workpiece speed give rise to an extremely intense and precisely controllable abrasive effect.

Compared to conventional processing methods, several production steps can be saved using the pulse finishing process. Deburring, smoothing and rounding of the edges in one operation enable time and cost savings. A surface which has been treated with the OTEC process also improves the adhesion of the subsequent coatings and extends the tool life.

Cutting Tools

• Deburring of taps
Taps in general need a deburring process after the tool grinding. With the conventional brushing method, not all burrs can be removed, which affects the later coating negatively. Non-removed burrs break off and create uncoated areas that wear more quickly. In OTEC’s stream finishing machines with pulse drive (Pulsfinish), workpieces can be deburred within several seconds up to some minutes.

• Defined rounding of taps
Cutting edges can be rounded to a defined measurement. By setting the parameters container and workpiece rotation speed as well as the immersion angles, the geometry of the taps can be modified in order to match the requested and optimal shape.

Forming Tools

• Defined smoothing of forming tools
The requirement is mainly to flatten the surface. The main task when machining thread formers is to evenly smoothen the entire tool surface. A smooth surface reduces the formation of material in the forming grooves and reduces the friction between the tool and the material to be deformed. Depending on the requirements, the defined rounding of certain functional edges is also necessary. By using a surface finishing process by OTEC, it is possible to match such requirements. Compared to competing processes (e.g. shot blasting), the OTEC process is pricewise very interesting and at the same time quite flexible, as it adapts to different workpiece shapes. By this finishing process, the deformation forces can be reduced by about 60%.

The use of the stream finishing machines with pulse drive (Pulsfinish) gives the possibility to work with high energy and small and abrasive media. The finishing target is achieved in about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the size of the tap and the requested result. The media used is also smoothing the surface of the tools that provides advantages in the coating behavior and tool life. The process is very flexible and adapts to every dimension and shape of taps. At the same time, the wearing of the media is low, making the process quite economical. In addition, stream finishing machines from OTEC are highly economical since a single machine can process a large number of workpieces at the same time, depending on the requirements of the job in hand. Workpieces can be changed quickly with an automatic door or even automatically by robot.

For Information:
OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH
Heinrich-Hertz-Straße 24
75334 Straubenhardt-Conweiler
Germany
Tel. +49.70.82 - 491120
Fax +49.70.82 - 491129
E-mail: info@otec.de
www.otec.de