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Improvement of Tapped
Threads with Micro-Drop Dispensing
In conventional stand alone tapping applications,
there are 3 common methods of lubricating-cooling:
- Water soluble coolants are used to
cool and lubricate the tool and work piece. They are sprayed
or flooded over the part to be tapped. This method is effective
for cooling, but does very little for lubrication which
tapping usually demands.
- Applying "tapping fluid" to the tap
and/or work piece from a can, bottle or with a brush. This
method works much better than the water soluble coolants
as it supplies the necessary lubrication tapping requires,
but is quite messy and costly as the fluid is usually dispensed
by hand, unmeasured.
- Tapping dry, using no lubricants or
coolants.
Micro-Drop dispensing can be a very effective
alternative to these cooling and lubricating methods for tapping.
Small amounts of high efficiency lubricants are dispensed to
the cutting tool. This dramatically reduces friction & heat
at the cutting tool-chip interface.
This technique is also very effective when form
tapping as the extreme pressure additive in the fluid does not
permit fluid breakdown from the pressure of forming. Forming
requires approximately 30% more torque or horsepower at the
spindle, and Trico Micro-Drop dispensing fluids reduce this
requirement. How much reduction is dependent on each application
and would net slightly different results.
Micro-Drop dispensing for tapping purposes is
extremely cost effective. Because the fluid is uniformly dispensed,
fluid cost is kept to a minimum. This makes micro dispensing
a better choice for tapping than manual applications from a
can, bottle or with a brush.
Tool life is increased by as much as 5 times over
tapping applications run dry. Trico Micro-Drop dispensers can
be electrically interfaced with machine controls or mechanical
switches. This allows dispensing of fluid only during the cutting
cycle.
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