You have two main choices when making threads inside materials: forming taps and cutting taps. Forming taps, called thread-forming or roll taps, shape threads by pushing material around. On the other hand, cutting taps removes material to create threads. Each type has pros and cons, making them suitable for different situations and materials.There are four main categories of tapping tools:

Forming tapvs cuttingtap

Threadforming tap

We encourage you to send a tool sketch/part print and a detailed description of your requirements. We encourage you to provide the following information when requesting a Special Tool:

Autodesk is a company that creates all kinds of software for manufacturing, engineering, and enterprise uses. When the company took to creating Fusion 360, an approachable, integrated CAD/CAM package, we knew that Tormach needed to be involved. Fusion 360 provides the ability to easily move from CAD (computer aided design) to CAM (computer aided manufacturing), which really streamlines the process to creating parts. As of the February 3 update, three Tormach starter tool sets are now included with Fusion 360. These tool sets can be found in the Fusion 360 CAM workspace by clicking on the Tool Library button on the Manage tab. Currently, three Tormach libraries are included – one for the PCNC 1100, one for the PCNC 770 and PCNC 440, and one for the 15L Slant-PRO. The two mill starter libraries include an assortment of high speed steel and carbide cutting tools from our Cutting Tool Starter Set #1 as well as the TTS® tool holders from our Manual Operator’s Set. The lathe starter library contains a handful of our common ¾ inch OD turning tools. These libraries are by no means an exhaustive list of our available tooling, but instead they are a handy shortcut for some of the more common tools in an aspiring machinist’s inventory. Obviously there is no such thing as the perfect tool library – speeds and feeds will always need to be dialed in, tool numbers will always need to be changed to suit, but we hope that these libraries will be good starting points for new and experienced users alike to build their own libraries out of.