b'So Exotic value-added processingas theis grooving.No. 1 factor. With thread milling, the major di-Threading is typically one ofameter of a tool is much smaller heat-resistant, expensive materials.the last processes performed on athan the inner diameter. If that tool Thread milling costs more and haspart, said Marlon Blandon, prod- breaks, it can be removed and re-requirements for equipment anduct manager of thread milling forplaced by another tool to finish software but is much more flexibleEmuge Corp. in West Boylston,grooving threads.and multifunctional and producesMassachusetts. By the time you doIf the tap breaks, Blandon said, pristine finishes. Tapping is fast butthe threading, many machines haveyoure left with a piece of high-might gall a surface, tear a thread orengaged that expensive part, andspeed steel inserted very tightlyworst casebreak a tap insidethe overall cost is much higher. into a $5,000 engine casing or tur-a part. In that scenario, a beautifulWhile any cutting tool can breakbine, bone screws in medical parts part is likely expensive scrap. from wear and tear after enduringor another expensive part that is heat resistance, tensile strength,now basically scrap.The Bottom Line ductility, hardness and other fac- A tap might break for a number When considering which processtors, taps often cannot be fixed.of reasons, but it often comes back to use, threading experts point toThe major diameter of a tap is al- to the properties of exotic materi-the potential for monetary loss most exactly that of the inner diam- als. Exotic metals are alloys com-both in terms of raw material andeter of the milled hole that the tapposed of a blend of metals to cre-Threads-all ZGF-S-Cut solid-carbide thread mills feature multiple teeth, a helical flute form and a multilayer TiAlN T46 coating.Emuge64AUGUST 2020Threading.indd 64 7/17/20 3:34 PM'