The STAR USA CNC Forming Tap is a new design expanding the use of forming taps further into harder and less ductile materials which up to now have been successfully tapped with other existing types of forming taps. The design of the CNC Forming Tap makes it less sensitive to undesirable hole conditions such as size variation, out-of-roundness, and excessive taper that often cause other forming taps to fail or break. However, in the case of holes that are small , or excessively tapered, the CNC Forming Tap may generate some fine chips. CNC Forming Taps are designed to form threads by material displacement. This process results in numerous tapping advantages: greater tap strength, especially in smaller tap sizes; potentially greater fastener strength; and elimination of chip disposal. CNC Forming Taps have been designed with straight lobes and oil grooves (#5, M3 and larger). They can be used to advantage in soft, ductile materials (25Rc or less). They are manufactured with closely controlled dimensions for fast, repeatable tool changes and therefore are well suited for use on CNC equipment.
