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Troubleshooting

General Problem: Dimensional Accuracy
Specific Cause Solution
Oversize Pitch Diameter Incorrect Tap
  1. Use Proper GH limits of taps
  2. Use longer chamfered taps.
Chip Packing
  1. Use spiral point or spiral fluted taps.
  2. Reduce number of flutes to provide extra chip room.
  3. Use larger hole size.
  4. If tapping a blind hole, allow deeper holes where applicable or shorten the thread length of the parts.
  5. Use proper lubricant.
Galling
  1. Apply proper surface treatment such as steam oxide or chrome.
  2. Use proper cutting lubricant.
  3. Reduce tapping speed.
  4. Use proper cutting angle in accordance with material being tapped.
  5. Use larger hole size.
Operating Conditions
  1. Apply proper tapping speed.
  2. Correct alignment of tap and drilled hole.
  3. Use proper tapping speed to avoid torn or rough threads.
  4. Use tapping attachment with axial compensation.
  5. Use proper tapping machine with suitable power.
  6. Avoid misalignment of the tap and drilled hole from loose spindle or worn holder.
Tool Conditions
  1. Obtain proper indexing angle for the flutes at the cutting edge.
  2. Grind proper cutting angle and chamfer angle.
  3. Avoid too narrow a land width.
  4. Remove burrs from regrinding.
Oversize Internal Hole Size
  1. Use minimum hole size.
  2. Avoid tapered hole
  3. Use proper chamfered taps.
Galling Galling solutions 1 through 4 can be applied to this specific problem.
Undersize Pitch Incorrect Tap
  1. Use Oversize taps.
    a. Use for cutting materials such as copper alloy, aluminum alloy and cast iron.
    b. Use for cutting tubing which will have "spring back" action after tapping.
  2. Apply proper chamfer angle.
  3. Increase cutting angle.
Damaged Thread
  1. Use proper reversing speed to avoid damaging tapped thread on the way out of the hole.
Leftover Chips
  1. Increase cutting performance to avoid any left over chips in the hole.
Undersize Internal Diameter Hole Size
  1. Use maximum drill size
General Problem: Surface Finish
Specific Cause Solution
Torn or Rough Thread Chamfer Too Short
  1. Increase chamfer length.
Wrong Cutting Angle
  1. Apply proper cutting angle.
Galling
  1. Use thread relieved taps.
  2. Reduce land width.
  3. Apply surface treatment such as steam oxide or chrome.
  4. Use proper cutting lubricant.
  5. Reduce tapping speed.
  6. Use larger hole size.
  7. Obtain proper alignment between tap and work.
Chip Packing
  1. Use spiral pointed or spiral fluted taps.
  2. Use larger drill size.
Tool Condition
  1. Avoid too narrow a land width.
  2. Do not grind the bottom of the flute.
Chattering on Tapped Thread Tool Free Cutting
  1. Reduce cutting angle.
  2. Reduce amount of thread relief.
General Problem: Tool Life
Specific Cause Solution
Breakage Incorrect Tap Selection
  1. Avoid chip packing in the flutes or the bottom of the hole. Use spiral pointed or spiral fluted taps or fluteless taps.
  2. Apply correct surface treatment such as steam oxide or bright.
Excessive Tapping Torque
  1. Use larger drill size.
  2. Try to shorten thread length.
  3. Increase cutting angle.
  4. Apply a tap with more thread relief and reduced land width.
  5. Use spiral pointed or spiral fluted taps.
Operating Condition
  1. Reduce tapping speed.
  2. Avoid misalignment between tap and the hole and tapered hole.
  3. Use floating type of tapping holder.
  4. Use tapping holder with torque adjustment.
  5. Avoid hitting bottom of the hole with tap.
Tool Condition
  1. Do not grind bottom of the flute.
  2. Avoid too narrow a land width.
  3. Remove all worn sections when regrinding the flutes.
  4. Regrind tool more frequently.
Chipping Incorrect Tap Selection
  1. Reduce cutting angle.
  2. Use a different kind of high speed steel tap.
  3. Reduce hardness of the tap.
  4. Increase chamfer length.
  5. Avoid chip packing in the flutes or in the bottom of the hole by using spiral fluted or spiral pointed taps.
Operating Conditions
  1. Reduce tapping speed.
  2. Avoid misalignment between tap and hole.
  3. Avoid sudden return of reverse in blind hole tapping.
  4. Avoid galling.
  5. Use larger hole size.
Wear Incorrect Tap Selection
  1. Apply specially designed taps for tapping heat treated material.
  2. Change to a type of high speed steel tap that contains vanadium.
  3. Apply special surface treatment such as nitriding.
  4. Increase chamfer length.
Operating Conditions
  1. Reduce tapping speed.
  2. Apply proper cutting lubricants.
  3. Avoid work hardened hole.
  4. Use larger hole size.
Tool Condition
  1. Grind proper cutting angle.
  2. Avoid hardness reduction from grinding process.
General Problems Related To Tap Holder
Specific Cause Solution
Tap stops before reaching required depth Clutch of X, R or TC/DC is slipping with new tap.
  1. Increase torque adjustment until a sharp tap can be driven to proper depth. Then add one half turn and lock adjustment
Clutch of X, R or TC/DC is slipping with dull tap.
  1. Change to new sharp tap.
Clutch of X, R or TC/DC slips when fully tightened.
  1. The torque required is too great for the tapping attachment. Use a larger model.
  2. Clutch may be worn and needs replacing.
The housing of the X, R or TC/DC stops rotating.
  1. The torque required is too great for the machine and the machine spindle is stopping. A machine with more torque is needed.
Drive disengages and goes into neutral.
  1. Set machine stop to allow tap to feed deeper into hole.
The self-feed adjustment of TC/DC is set to minimum self-feed and drive goes into neutral.
  1. Back off self-feed adjustment for more forward drive engagement and adjust machine stop.
  2. Note: There can be confusion between the clutch slipping and the drive going into neutral. You can determine what is occuring from the sound. With the R model, there is a loud ratcheting sound when the clutch slips. When the drive goes into neutral it is quiet. With the X or TC/DC model when the clutch slips there is no sound and when the drive goes into neutral there is a clicking sound.
Tap pulls out of collet chuck. Tap chuck nut is not tightened securely.
  1. Be sure to follow operator instructions for installation of tap.
Tap square is not being driven properly.
  1. Be sure to follow operator instructions for installation of tap.
Back jaws for driving tap square are damaged.
  1. Replace back jaws and please see operator instructions for installation of tap.
Tap stops and starts chattering on the way out of the hole. With X, R or TC/DC speed increases by 1.75 times for reverse, operator is not feeding fast enough to keep up with tap.
  1. Retract the machine spindle at a faster rate with a smooth motion.
Tap stops and starts chattering on the way out of the hole. With RDT, ID or NCRT on a machining center, the feed rate is not keeping up with the tap.
  1. Adjust machines feed rate correctly according to operator instructions.
  2. Be sure that potentiometer over ride control is canceled. Please see programming in operator instructions.
  3. Be sure that "Ramp" or "Exact Stop" is not in effect. Please see programming in operator instructions.
Self-reversing tapping attachment does not reverse. Stop arm is not installed or prevented from rotating.
  1. Please see operator instructions for stop arm and torque bar installation.
Coolant has entered the housing of the tapping attachment. Tapping attachment is being flooded with external coolant.
  1. Try to avoid flooding tapping attachment itself.
Internal Coolant system is leaking due to pressure build up.
  1. Please be sure not to exceed maximum recommended pressure. Please be sure outlet for coolant flow is adequate. Please see operator instructions.
Note: Coolant can be removed by using the following procedure.