Tap Testing for Tooling Manufacturers
Now available.
America's largest metalworking distributor continues to offer tap testing as a service. Our five year exclusive agreement with them has ended and we are now free to offer the very same award winning solution under our own brand name of SpeedCast tap testing kits and UNLIMITED AI-generated Dashboards.
Over five years and thousands of tap tests the following results were published:
- 200% increase in feed rates (it was actually more-see below)
- 300% increase in metal removal rates
- 50% decrease in cycle times
Imagine if your tooling came with one of these Dashboards
Unlimited Dashboards
Generate as many Dashboards as you want. It takes less than one minute to generate a Dashboard at the spindle after a tap test.
Pop-Up Calculator
Manufacturer's speed and feed data are very conservative and static. The AI-generated Dashboard from a tap test serves as a comprehensive ppop-up calculator for your programmers.
Find Stable Speeds
The speed dial shows stable speeds in green and unstable in red. Change the width and/or depth of cut and the dial adjusts instantly.
Surface Location Error and Surface Finish
Because we measure the tool's dynamic displacement, you can find speeds that will generate the best surface finish and accuracy.
Calculations and Conversions on the Fly
The Dashboard calculates metal removal rate and power. It instantly converts from inch to metric, RPM to SFM, IPT to IPM and WOC to %.
Know before you cut
You can try different scenarios and tool path strategies before ever taking a cut. Try out a sample Dashboard by clicking below.
"If I speed them up, I will sell less"
The conventional, if unspoken, wisdom is that tap testing speeds up milling therefore fewer cutting tools will be used and so that is why the industry has not adopted it widely. However, what if this assumption was wron? The chart on the left shows the typical cost of a machined part as cited by Sandvik Coromant. The cutting tools are the smallest category at only 3%. Over the past five years published statistics have shown that our tap testing kits and software have yielded an average 300% increase in metal removal rates and a 50% reduction in cycle times. In other words, if you made one part an hour before tap testing you now made two after tap testing. Now let’s apply the Taylor equation for tool wear. An increase in tool velocity should then increase tool consumption. But do we really care? The tool costs jump to 12%, but the doubling of production generates a 31% savings! Yes, faster tool wear will require more tool changes, but that can be dealt with redundant tools. McKinsey reports that the cutting tool market for milling in the U.S. is $1.9 Billion.
Does tap testing have the potential to quadruple the size of that market (and for toolholders to hold those redundant cutters) to nearly $8 BILLION while doubling America’s machining capacity?
SOURCES:
Why use Tap Testing?
You can't improve what you don't measure.
The chart at the left shows the same endmill sticking out the same amount in six different premium toolholder types in the same machine tool and in the same material. Each were tap-tested and the results validated with cutting tests The difference from the best to the worst was nearly 5X. If you also make toolholders, consider this: an endmill with a different number of teeth and length was tested and the winning and losing toolholders from this test were different.
Tap Testing Benefits for Tooling Manufacturers
Just Milling?
Price per Part vs. Price per Tool
Milling is the largest cutting segment accounting for 40.3% of all tools purchased. It also removes the most material and therefore has the largest impact on your customer's profitability. It is the most difficult of all metalworking applications and is prone to chatter. Win milling and you win the customer.
Price per Part vs. Price per Tool
Price per Part vs. Price per Tool
Tap testing will show your customer the value of increasing performance rather than focusing on the purchase price. Cutting tools will transform from a commodity bought from the lowest bidder to a highly engineered solutions. You will be able to increase your profit margins.
Sell More Tools
Speeding up will not cause you to sell fewer tools. According to Taylor's Equation higher velocity increases tool consumption. They will buy more endmills and inserts, along with more cutter bodies and toolholders for redundant back-ups. They will be more competitive and win more work.
Upload and Train your Data
Upload your tooling data with the correct attributes (variable pitch, variable pitch, chipbreakers, etc.) to ensure accurate predictions by all SpeedCast users. Train our models with your unique geometries for even more accurate performance predictions and thus create customized, dynamic speed and feed charts. See information below.
Reduce Inventory
Controlling chatter and creating stable, robust processes will reduce the need for safety stocks in vending machines and on your shelves. Consumption will be more predictable and consistent month to month.
Resharpening Tools
If you offer resharpening or special tools, tap testing is a vital service. You can tap test new and resharpened endmills to find a stable speed for both so both can be co-mingled in inventory. No more huge performance drop offs with regrinds.
Tool Tuning
Reduce Cost of GTO's
Sell SpeedCast
If you manufacture toolholders you need to learn the concept of "tool tuning". By adjusting the amount of the endmill stick-out, guided by tap tests and AI Dashboards (generated in less than a minute) you can manipulate the stable speed lobes or zones to match your holder.
Sell SpeedCast
Reduce Cost of GTO's
Sell SpeedCast
You can resell SpeedCast tap testing kits and software subscriptions to your customers. We off reseller discounts. Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to get a quotation.
Reduce Cost of GTO's
Reduce Cost of GTO's
Reduce cost of Guaranteed Trial Orders (GTO). Use tap testing to predict outcomes and to adjust configurations to score more wins. Toolholders and indexable bodies supplied for failed trials cannot be resold as new. Use tap testing to if a trial order is warranted before committing.
Select Right Toolholder
In a study of the same endmill in six different premium toolholders, performance ranged 5X from best to the worst. You can be either five times better or five times worse based on the combination you chose. Tap testing enables you to evaluate a tool assembly prior to taking a cut and guides you through optimization.
Catalog Chart vs. Dashboard
Catalog Chart vs. Dashboard
In this study the same tool was compared using speeds and feeds recommended by the chart in the manufacturer's catalog. The tool chattered and need to slow down to be stable. The same tool was tap-tested and the Dashboard provided parameters that improved metal removal by a factor of five.
Blueprint Specials
Catalog Chart vs. Dashboard
Special tools have no historical speed and feed data. Tap testing will give you the correct parameters before the first cut.
Why you should train our models.
The stable speeds from the tap test do not change, but training our material models will increase depth of cut limits and increase the process damping low speed stable range. The Dashboards with your tools will show their maximum performance capabilities.
