Thread mill fits the bill

Most people believe that composite materials are easier to machine than the conventional steel and alloys we commonly encounter, but this is often not the case. Many composites, although not particularly hard, can be very abrasive and resistant to cutting forces. Because of the inherent nature of such materials, Vargus thread mills is one example of the range of tools available from Vargus Tooling UK that lend themselves naturally to the materials. In most cases, these thread mills produce give clear benefits over conventional tapping, for instance. A tap can often fail when used to cut these materials due to swarf compaction within the flutes, and the stresses involved are far greater due to the total surface contact. Vargus thread milling, on the other hand, allows for complete control over the thread generation process and feed rates are not governed by the pitch of the thread, like they are when tapping. With tapping, the revs/min and feed rate have to be in sync; alter one and you have to alter the other. Feed rates for Vargus tooling can adapted for all types of material without ill effect on speeds, therefore generating greater control. A second benefit is that the contact area of thread milling is far less than that of a tap, thereby reducing stresses and the potential for breakage and, thirdly, the swarf created by a thread mill is in the form of very small chips that can be washed away. This is because the thread milling process mainly starts at the bottom of a hole and rises up, so any remaining swarf is left behind and does not interfere with the cutting action.

www.vargustooling.co.uk