THREAD CUTTING METHODS
• Thread cutting is one of the most important operations
performed in a centre lathe.
• It is possible to cut both external and internal threads with the
help of threading tools.
• The principle of thread cutting is to produce a helical groove on
a cylindrical or conical surface by feeding the tool
longitudinally when the job is revolved between centres or by a
chuck
• The longitudinal feed should be equal to the pitch of the thread
Square Thread Cutting
• The lead screw of the lathe has a definite pitch.
• The saddle receives its traversing motion through the lead screw.
• Therefore a definite ratio between the longitudinal feed and rotation of the
headstock spindle should be found out so that the relative speeds of
rotation of the work and the lead screw will result in the cutting of a
thread of the desired pitch.
• This is effect by change gears arranged between the spindle and the lead
screw or by the change gear mechanism or feed gear box used in a modern
lathe.
• Thread cutting on a centre lathe is a slow process, but it is the only
process of producing square threads
Square Thread Cutting
Thread chaser
• A chaser is a multipoint threading tool
having the same form and pitch of the
thread to be chased
• A chaser is used to finish a partly cut
thread to the size and shape required
External thread cutting by dies
• Machine screws, bolts or studs are quickly made by different types
of dies which look and apparently behave like nuts but made of
hardened tool steel or HSS and having sharp internal cutting edges.
• The dies are coaxially rotated around the premachined rod like
blank with the help of handle, die stock or die holder. First the
proper die is selected according to the thread to be cut. A die holder
is selected and the die is inserted in the holder. Then the die holder
with die is placed in the tail stock spindle. The work piece is held in
a chuck or a collet and rotated at a very slow speed.
External thread cutting by dies
• The tail stock is turned in to cut the threads.
The machine is stopped as soon as the
correct length of the thread is machined.
• The threads can also be cut by screwing the
die (held in a die holder) on the work piece
held and rotated between centres
External thread cutting by dies
Solid die: I it used for making thread of usually small pitch and
diameter in one pass.
Spring die: The die ring is provided with a slit the width of the slit is
adjustable by a screw to enable elastically slight reduction in the bore
and thus cut the thread in number of passes with lesser force on
hands.
.
External thread cutting by dies
Split die: The die is made in two pieces, one fixed and one movable
(adjustable) within the cavity of the handle or wrench to enable cut
relatively larger threads or fine threads on harder blanks easily in
number of passes, the die pieces can be replaced by another pair for
cutting different threads within small range of variation in size and
pitch
Pipe die: Pipe threads of large diameter but smaller pitch are cut by
manually rotating the large wrench ( stock )i n which the die is fitted
through a guide bush. However the quality of the threads will depend
upon the perfection of the dies and skill of the operator
External thread cutting by dies
External thread cutting by rotating
tools
• Often it becomes necessary to machine large threads on one or very
few pieces of heavy blanks of irregular size and shape like heavy
castings or forgings.
• In such cases, the blank is mounted on face plate in a centre lathe
with proper alignment. The deep and wide threads are produced by
intermittent cutting action by a rotating tool.
• A separate attachment carrying the rotating tool is mounted on the
saddle and fed as usual by the lead screw of the centre lathe.
• The tool is rotated fast but the blank much slowly. This intermittent
cut enables more effective lubrication and cooling of the tool.
External thread cutting by rotating
tools
External thread cutting by milling
cutters
• This process gives quite fast production by
using suitable thread milling cutters in
centre lathes. The milling attachment is
mounted on the saddle of the lathe
• The two types of thread milling are Long
Thread milling and short thread milling
Long Thread Milling
• Long and large diameter screws like
machine lead screws are reasonably
accurately made by using a large disc type
form milling cutter
Short Thread Milling
• Threads of shorter length and fine pitch are
machined at high production rate by using a HSS
milling cutter having a number of annular threads
with axial grooves cut on it for generating cutting
edges.
• Each job requires only around 1.25 revolution of the
blank and very short axial (1.25 pitch) and radial
(1 .5 pitch) travel of the rotating tool
Short Thread Milling
Internal thread cutting
• The principle of cutting internal threads is similar to that of an
external thread, the only difference being in the tool used.
• The tool is similar to a boring tool with cutting edges ground
to the shape conforming to the type of the thread to be cut.
• The hole is first bored to the root diameter of the thread. For
cutting metric thread, the compound slide is swiveled 300
towards the headstock.
Internal thread cutting
• The tool is fixed on the tool post or on the
boring bar after setting it at right angles to
the lathe axis, using a thread gauge.
• The depth of cut is given by the compound
slide and the thread is finished in the usual
manner.
Internal thread cutting
Internal thread cutting by taps
• Internal screw threads of usually small size are cut
manually, if needed, in plates, blocks, machine parts etc.
by using taps which look and behave like a screw but made
of tool steel or HSS and have sharp cutting edges produced
by axial grooving over the threads
• Three taps namely, taper tap, second tap and bottoming
tap are used consecutively after drilling a tap size hole
through which the taps are axially pushed helically with
the help of a handle or wrench.
Internal thread cutting by taps
• Threads are often tapped by manually
rotating and feeding the taps through the
drilled hole in the blank held in centre lathe
spindle
Type of taps used for cutting
internal thread
• Straight solid taps: Used for small jobs
• Taps with adjustable blades: Usually for
large diameter jobs
• Taper or nut taps: Used for cutting
threads in nuts
Internal thread cutting by taps
Internal thread cutting by milling
cutters
• The typical internal thread milling cutters
produces internal threads very rapidly
• The principle of operation similar to that of
tne external short thread milling
Internal thread cutting by milling
cutters
