Advise on what taps to use for nylon

[msomerville]

I didn't know if any of you guys knew of any manufacturer that made a tap to perform well in nylon. I usually use a regular 2 flute bottom tap, but on the deeper tapped holes (.75 deep) I can't keep the tap clean, it gums up so when the next piece is tapped the hole is screwed up. I am machining these pieces on a lathe with a bar feeder, so I am trying to automate this process as much as possible. I have small regulated air blast blowing on the tap after the hole is tapped. I am using flood coolant also. Any help you guys can give me would be great.

Thanks,
Matt

[mxtras]

I can't say I tap a tremendous amount of Nylon, but I have had perfect success tapping 1/4-20 holes in filled Nylon (Nylatron) with a pretty standard spiral point, spiral flute, 3 flute machine tap from Emuge - available from MSC. I will scare up a link....

Here ya go - this is what I have had success with - http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT...MT4NO=13820739


Scott

[msomerville]

I have tried 6-32 taps similar to that one, although it wasn't coated, and the chips seem to cling for dear life. Someone on another forum said he used thread roll form taps for plastics all the time. I have used form taps for aluminum, but not sure how it would work in nylon. Has anyone else ever used form taps in plastic?

[keebler303]

I would think the plastic would deform around the form tap and just go back to being a hole after the tap comes out. I suppose it would depend on the plastic but I wouldn't think it would work very well.

Matt

[msomerville]

I have tapped one hole so far and used a drill that is 65% the diameter of the tap and the minor diameter is too big. I am going to try a smaller diameter drill to see if I can get the minor diameter closed up. I can get a bolt in there though so we will see.

[arie kabaalstra]

there are special taps for plastics and metals like copper and aluminium, we work with taps from Gühring.

these taps have less teeth, they are 3-straight flute taps with "every other tooth missing" after the point, these taps experience less friction and thus less heat.
Plastics "pinch" when tapped, and these taps won't get "stuck" in the holes.