thredfloer hole size and class of fit – ConTinued

thredfloers – metric
hole sizes required for hole sizes required for Stock d˝ number per
6h tolerance 4h tolerance class of fit
75% 65% 55% tap 75% 65% 55% tap 6h 4h
size thread thread thread drill size thread thread thread drill size tolerance tolerance
M1.6 x .35 .057 .058 .059 1.45 mm .056 .057 .058 #54 D5 D3
M1.7 x .35 .061 .062 .063 1.55 mm .060 .061 .062 #53 D5 D3
M2 x .4 .072 .073 .074 1.85 mm .071 .072 .073 1.80 mm D5 D3
M2.5 x .45 .091 .092 .093 2.30 mm .089 .090 .091 #43 D6 D3
M2.6 x .45 .095 .096 .097 2.40 mm .093 .094 .095 2.35 mm D6 D3
M3 x .5 .110 .111 .112 #35 .108 .109 .110 2.75 mm D6 D3
M3.5 x .6 .128 .129 .130 #30 .126 .127 .128 3.2 mm D7 D4
M4 x .7 .145 .146 .148 3.7 mm .144 .145 .147 #27 D7 D4
M5 x .8 .183 .184 .185 #14 .181 .182 .184 4.6 mm D8 D4
M6 x 1 .218 .220 .222 5.5 mm .216 .218 .220 5.5 mm D9 D5
M8 x 1.25 .291 .294 .296 7.4 mm .289 .291 .294 7.3 mm D10 D5
M10 x 1.5 .365 .368 .371 9.3 mm .362 .365 .368 9.2 mm D11 D6
M12 x 1.75 .439 .442 .446 7/16" .436 .439 .443 11.0 mm D12 D6
M14 x 1.25 .527 .530 .532 13.4 mm .525 .528 .530 13.3 mm D10 D5
M14 x 1.5 .522 .525 .528 13.3 mm .519 .522 .525 13.2 mm D11 D6
M14 x 2 .512 .516 .520 13.0 mm .509 .513 .517 12.9 mm D14 D7
M16 x 1.5 .601 .604 .607 15.3 mm .598 .601 .604 15.2 mm D11 D6
M16 x 2 .591 .595 .599 15.0 mm .588 .592 .596 14.9 mm D14 D7
M18 x 1.5 .680 .683 .686 17.3 mm .677 .680 .683 17.2 mm D11 D6

sti thredfloers – machine screw and fractional size

hole sizes required for h˝ number
sti 85% 75% 65% 55% tap per class of fit
thread size thread thread thread thread drill size 2b 3b blank size
2-56 .099 .100 .101 .102 #39 2 2 #5
4-40 .130 .131 .132 .134 3.3 mm 3, 2 2 #8
6-32 .161 .162 .163 .165 4.1 mm 3, 2 2 #10
8-32 .187 .188 .189 .191 3/16 3, 2 2 #12
10-24 .221 .222 .224 .226 #2 4, 3 3, 2 1/4
10-32 .213 .214 .215 .217 #3 4, 3 3, 2 1/4
1/4-20 .287 .288 .290 .293 7.3 mm 4, 3 3, 2 5/16
1/4-28 .276 .278 .279 .281 J 4, 3 3, 2 5/16
5/16-18 .353 .355 .357 .360 9.0 mm 5, 4 4, 3 7/16
3/8-16 .420 .422 .425 .428 27/64" 5, 4 4, 3 1/2

sti thredfloers – metric

hole sizes required for d˝ number
sti 85% 75% 65% 55% tap per class of fit
thread size thread thread thread thread drill size 5h 4h blank size
M2.5 x .45 .112 .112 .113 .114 #34 D3 D2 #5
M3 x .5 .133 .133 .134 .135 3.4 mm D3 D2 #8
M3.5 x .6 .156 .157 .158 .159 #22 D4 D3 #10
M4 x .7 .178 .179 .180 .182 #15 D4 D3 #10
M5 x .8 .220 .221 .223 .225 #2 D4 D3 1/4
M6 x 1.0 .266 .267 .269 .271 6.8 mm D5 D4 5/16
M8 x 1.25 .352 .353 .355 .358 9 mm D6 D5 3/8
TECHNICAL INFO
hole size

80
TECHNICAL INFO
din and jis tap blank dimensions

BLANK 1 BLANK 2 BLANK 3

D1 D1 D1

L2 L4 L2 L4 L4
L2
L1 L3
L1 L1

din dimensions
length shank square
metric size din style BLANK l1 (mm) l2 (mm) l3 (mm) d1 (mm) (mm) l4 (mm)
m1.6 371 1 40 8 – 2.5 2.1 5
m2.0 371 1 45 8 – 2.8 2.1 5
L1
m2.2 371 1 45 9 – 2.8 2.1 5
m2.5 371 1 50 9 – 2.8 2.1 5
m3.0 371 2 56 10 18 3.5 2.7 6
m3.5 371 2 56 10 18 4 3 6
m4.0 371 2 63 12 21 4.5 3.4 6
m5.0 371 2 70 14 25 6 4.9 8
m6.0 371 2 80 16 30 6 4.9 8
m8.0 371 2 90 18 35 8 6.2 9
m10 371 2 100 20 39 10 8 11
m12 371 2 110 22 40 12 9 12
m12 376 3 110 27 – 9 7 10
m14 376 3 110 22 – 11 9 12
m16 376 3 110 22 – 12 9 12
m18 376 3 125 25 – 14 11 14
m20 376 3 140 27 – 16 12 15
m22 376 3 140 27 – 18 14.5 17
m24 376 3 160 27 – 18 14.5 17

jis dimensions
length shank square
American size metric size BLANK l1 (mm) l2 (mm) d1 (mm) (mm) l4 (mm)
0 m1.6 1 36 8 3 2.5 5
1 m2.0 1 40 9 3 2.5 5
2 m2.2 1 42 10 3 2.5 5
4 m2.5 1 44 11 3 2.5 5
– m3.0 1 46 18 4 3.2 6
6 m3.5 1 48 18 4 3.2 6
8 m4.0 1 52 20 5 4 7
10 m5.0 1 60 22 5.5 4.5 7
1/4 m6.0 1 62 24 6 4.5 7
5/16 m8.0 3 70 20 6.2 5 8
– m10 3 75 22 7 5.5 8
– m12 3 82 30 8.5 6.5 9
blank dimensions
TECHNICAL INFO

77
TECHNICAL INFO
 suggested tapping speeds
TAPPING RPM
THRU - COOLANT RADIAL - COOLANT ANGULAR - COOLANT
#0 #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #8 #10 #12 1/4 5/16 3/8 7/16 1/2 5/8 3/4 1"
MATERIAL SFM M1.6 M2 M2.5 M3 M3.5 M4 M5 M6 M8 M10 M11 M12 M16 M18 M24
Low Carbon Steel 55 3503 2879 2444 2123 1877 1682 1523 1282 1106 973 841 674 561 481 420 336 280 210
Medium Carbon Steel 35 2229 1832 1555 1351 1194 1070 969 816 704 619 535 429 357 306 268 214 178 134
High Carbon Steel 10 637 524 444 386 341 306 277 233 201 177 153 122 102 87 76 61 51 38
Cast Steel 25 1592 1309 1111 965 853 764 692 583 503 442 382 306 255 219 191 153 127 96
300 Series Stainless Steel 20 1274 1047 889 772 682 611 554 466 402 354 306 245 204 175 153 122 102 76

THRU - COOLANT
400 Series Stainless Steel 15 955 RADIAL - COOLANT
785 667 579 512 459 ANGULAR
415 350 302 - COOLANT
265 229 184 153 131 115 92 76 57
Grey Cast Iron 70 4459 3665 3111 2702 2389 2140 1939 1631 1408 1238 1070 857 713 612 535 428 357 268
Ductile Cast Iron 50 3185 2618 2222 1930 1706 1529 1385 1165 1006 885 764 612 510 437 382 306 255 191
Alloy Cast Iron 40 2548 2094 1778 1544 1365 1223 1108 932 805 708 611 490 408 350 306 245 204 153
Aluminum Cast Alloys 60 3822 3141 2666 2316 2047 1834 1662 1398 1207 1062 917 735 611 525 459 367 306 229
Aluminum Diecast Alloys 70 4459 3665 3111 2702 2389 2140 1939 1631 1408 1238 1070 857 713 612 535 428 357 268
Aluminum Wrought Alloys 80 50964188 3555 3088 2730 2446 2215 1864 1609 1415 1223 980 815 700 611 489 408 306
THRU - COOLANT
Zinc DiecasTings 80 5096 4188 3555 3088 2730 2446 2215 1864 1609 1415 1223 980 815 700 611 489 408 306
Copper 60 3822 3141 2666 2316 2047 1834 1662 1398 1207 1062 917 735 611 525 459 367 306 229
RADIAL - COOLANT
Brass, Free Machining 60 3822 3141 2666 2316 2047 1834 1662 1398 1207 1062 917 735 611 525 459 367 306 229
Cast Bronze 50 3185 2618 2222 1930 1706 1529 1385 1165 1006 885 764 612 510 437 382 306 255 191
ANGULAR - COOLANT
Nickel Alloys 10 637 524 444 386 341 306 277 233 201 177 153 122 102 87 76 61 51 38
Titanium Alloys 10 637 524 444 386 341 306 277 233 201 177 153 122 102 87 76 61 51 38
Plastic, ThermosetTing 40 2548 2094 1778 1544 1365 1223 1108 932 805 708 611 490 408 350 306 245 204 153
Plastic, Thermoplastic 80 5096 4188 3555 3088 2730 2446 2215 1864 1609 1415 1223 980 815 700 611 489 408 306

1. Speeds are starting points for cold forming taps or for cutting 3. For cutting taps in blind holes, reduce RPM by 25% to 50%.
taps in thru hole applications. 4. Tap Feed Rate = Tap RPM x Tap Pitch (Displacement/Revolution)
2. Fine pitch cold forming taps less than 1/2" diameter may be run Example: 1/4-28 Tap @ 1000 RPM
faster in soft material with good lubrication. Increase tapping Feed Rate = 1000 Rev/Min. x 1/28 Inch/Rev)= 35.71 in/Min
RPM gradually until tap heat buildup due to lubrication failure Example: M6 x 1.0 Tap @ 1000 RPM
begins to occur. Feed Rate = 1000 Rev/Min. x 1.0 mm/Rev )= 1000 mm/Min

Coolant-Thru Taps
THRU - COOLANT

RADIAL - COOLANT

ANGULAR - COOLANT

Fast Delivery on Standard Coolant-Thru Taps Special Coolant-Thru Taps for Custom Applications
Using Balax’s EDM process, almost any standard Thredshaver or For processes requiring an engineered special coolant-thru tap,
Thredfloer tap can be modified into the coolant-thru tap style of custom tap blanks are made with coolant-thru holes in the style
your choice: thru-coolant, radial coolant, or angular coolant. It’s best suited for the tapping application.
TECHNICAL INFO

economical and turn-around time is fast.

74
TECHNICAL INFO
 thredfloer application data – Continued
surface treatment / lubrication selector
Surface treatments and proper lubrication are very important
and can have a major effect on tap life and threaded part quality.
Use the following application guidelines to determine the correct
treatment and lubricant for the material being tapped.

material catagory material type tap treatment lubrication recommended

Bright finish for most application,
Aluminum (plate or wrought material),
Soft or add hard chrome for tap wear Water soluble 5:1 or light tapping oil.
Diecast Zinc, or wrought Brass
and lubricity
Diecast Aluminum Nitride, Super TiN, or Bal-Plus
Soft and Abrasive Water soluble 5:1 or light tapping oil.
Copper Balwear or Nitride/Balwear
Mild Steel Nitride or Super TiN Extreme pressure rated tapping oil with high sulphur
Itermediate Hardness and high chlorine content. Balax has developed Bal-Tap
300 Series Stainless Nitride/Steam Oxide or Super TiN
S˝, a specialized tapping oil, designed specifically for
Hard Materials Alloyed Steels and 400 Series Stainless Nitride/Steam Oxide or Super TiN cold forming taps.

Control Root Diameter CRD˝

The root diameter of a forming tap may be ground to a specific The root diameter for a CRD˝ Thredfloer Tap is calculated
size or diameter to serve several functions: and carefully ground to a definite dimension to perform
• Smooth or flatten the U˝ shaped cup in the crest of the formed the burnishing or sizing of the thread crest. Most common
thread to reduce cross-threading. application is to size theCRD˝ for 65-75 percent thread height.
• Smooth the crest of the thread to eliminate burrs or roughness Consult with a Balax Tapplication Engineer˝ to confirm the
and to improve the appearance of the thread. intended use and specifications for any CRD˝ taps you wish
• Size the after-tap minor diameter to a specific tolerance to purchase.
to minimize the effects of pre-tap hole size variations.
• Works best for thin walled stampings or diecast parts where
some porosity is present.
STANDARD TAP CRD TAP

THREADED PART
THREADED PART

diecast cored holes

Diecast cored holes can be tapped directly with cold forming
taps without the need for pre-tap drilling.
The procedure for determining core pin size is as follows: tap thread pitch "k" value

1. D
 etermine D1, which is the diameter of the hole at the top, 10 to 14 threads per inch .012"
by selecting the 65 percent thread pre-tap hole size from 15 to 25 threads per inch .010"

the applicable Thredfloer hole size chart. 26 threads per inch or more,
.007"
and tap size #4 (M3) or larger

2. D
 etermine the diameter of the hole at the bottom by 26 threads per inch or more,
.004"
and tap size smaller than #4 (M3)
subtracting the following constant K˝ from the D1 hole size
diameter at the top.
D1

Note: The draft angle or core pin taper should be kept as straight as
possible to provide uniform after-tap thread percentage. The above D1 = Hole diameter at top
TECHNICAL INFO

procedures will result in an after-tap hole with 65% thread at the = 65% hole size from charts
top and 100% thread at the bottom.
D1-K = Hole diameter at bottom

D1 -K

73
TECHNICAL INFO
important notes on thredfloer pre-tap hole sizes
Determining Drill Size
Thread forming taps require a larger pre-tap hole size than matters is the actual pre-tap hole size, how consistently this hole
cutting taps because they do not produce a chip during tapping. size is maintained, and finally, the after-tap thread percentage or
The pre-tap hole size tolerance for smaller fine-pitch taps must minor diameter. To get good results, you must know the actual
be controlled more closely to prevent after-tap minor diameter hole size and not just the drill size! Thin wall parts may expand
problems. during tapping and produce oversize after-tap minor diameters.
Diecast parts may contain porosity which may cause oversize
Finding the correct drill size for a Thredfloer Tap may be a “Cut
holes due to shrinkage.
and Try” process. Not all drills are alike and therefore the pre-tap
holes produced by different drills may be vastly different. What

Thread Inspection Procedures

Pitch Diameter: The easy part is getting the GO˝ and NO-GO˝ It is often possible to fine tune the after-tap minor diameter by
thread gages, which check pitch diameter, to work correctly. varying the tap pitch diameter. Changing a Thredfloer Tap by one
As a rule of thumb, Thredfloer Taps should be two to three H˝ or D˝ number is the same as changing the drill size by .0005
H˝ or D˝ numbers larger than cutting taps in order to gage inches. For example, if the after tap minor diameter is too large,
correctly. Threads that are tight or loose after tapping can be it may be reduced by using a larger tap pitch diameter, providing
rectified by increasing or decreasing tap pitch diameter the no-go gage doesn’t pass the part.
(H˝ or D” number). Example: A 1/4-20 Class 2B minor diameter should be .196/.207
Minor Diameter: The most common problem is thread inches. After tapping with an H5 tap, the part measured
percentage. Unless otherwise specified, acceptance criteria are .205/.206”, which is almost oversize. By switching to an H7 tap,
the minimum and maximum minor diameters for various thread you can reduce the after-tap minor diameter to .202/.203”.
sizes and classes of fit, as published by the ANSI Standards. Suggested Procedure for Using a Thredfloer Tap
These measurements are checked with cylindrical plug gages. 1. Test drill a part and measure the pretap hole size.
It is important that these criteria be inspected during the initial 2. Test tap the part. Check pitch diameter with go and no-go
Testing” stage of drilling and tapping. Failure to check minor gages. Check the thread percentage or minor diameter
diameters may be very expensive. against the customer requirement.
3. Establish a maximum condition for the pre-tap hole size
and monitor this frequently during the production tap run.

visual thread inspection

All formed threads have a cup or U˝ in the crest due to the nature Always check your hole size after drilling. Do Not expect the
of the thread forming process. A properly sized hole should result drill will cut the size hole marked on the drill. Use a drill that will
in a thread percentage of 65-75%. Tapping with too small of a produce a 75% hole size where after-tap minor diameter gaging
pre-tap hole size results in excessive tapping torque, tap wear, to 2B or 3B tolerances is required.
and possible tap breakage.

Correct Hole Too Small Large Too Large

Pre-tap hole size is correct. Resulting in a high thread Suitable for some applications. Resulting in a low thread
Thread percentage is 65-75%, percentage (90-100%) Thread percentage is 55%. percentage (40%) and an
and the after-tap minor diameter and an after-tap minor After-tap minor diameter is too after-tap minor diameter
is in specification. diameter which is too small. large for 2B and 3B tolerances. which is too big.
TECHNICAL INFO
hole size

81
TECHNICAL INFO
 Seven Major Advantages of Thread Forming – VS – Cutting Taps
THREDFLOERS

Forming taps and cutting taps produce threads that gage 4. Stronger Taps
identically and are interchangeable, but the similarity stops The absence of chips eliminates the need for flutes, resulting
there. The way they produce threads is completely different: in a solid, stronger tap.
Forming taps displace metal — cutting taps remove it.
5. Longer Tap Life
1. Chipless Tapping Forming taps last 3 to 20 times longer than cutting taps
Since the thread is formed and not cut, there are no chips to because they have no cutting edge to dull.
interfere with the tapping process or to cause chip-removal 6. More Efficient Production
problems in blind holes. Longer tap life, less tap breakage, and faster tapping speeds
2. Stronger Threads combine to reduce cycle time and machine downtime.
The grain flow of formed threads follows the contour of the 7. Ideal For Non-Lead Screw Tappers
thread resulting in greater thread strength. This is especially true The ability to form their own leads makes Thredfloer Taps
for materials that work-harden such as steel and stainless steel. especially well suited for CNC machines or other machines
3. Better Thread Gaging without lead screws.
Forming taps rearrange the metal in the hole to create the
thread. Because no metal is cut away, the possibility of NO
FORMING TAP
CHIPS
producing oversized threads is greatly reduced.

Forming taps Cutting Taps

Re-arrange the grain of the material. Create chips that interferes with tapping.

FORMING TAP CHIPS

NO
CHIPS

WHY Choose Balax Thredfloer’s ? CUTTING TAP

BALAX stands for “BALanced AXially,” which is an important

feature for all of our Thredfloer Cold Forming Taps. Balax
Thredfloers are ground using our proprietary thread grinders
that have a differential lead compensation device that produces
cold forming taps with their lead crests exactly on pitch.
CHIPS

Other forming taps have lead thread cold forming teeth that are
not ground on pitch. These forming taps actually cold-work the
thread twice: (1) to form the in-accurate lead TAP and (2) to
thread
CUTTING

move it on pitch. This creates an axial thrust on the tap which

increases tapping torque and reduces tap life.
GRINDING WHEEL 60° CRESTS ON PITCH

Balax Thredfloers form the thread exactly on pitch the first

time with no axial thrust, hence the name “BALanced AXially”. BALAX
All Thredfloers require less tapping torque and provide longer TRANSITION ZONE
tap life than forming taps ground with conventional methods. 60° CRESTS OFF PITCH

OTHER

4
THREDFLOER