Walter Advance Taps Provide Excellent Reliability and Performance

The universal TC117 blind-hole and TC217 through-hole taps tackle a wide range of materials.

Walter has announced the introduction of the TC117/TC217 Advance cut taps for high threading productivity in a wide range of different materials.  All Walter threading products have been divided into one of three categories: Supreme, Advance, Perform.  The Advance line, where the new TC117/TC217 taps are positioned, signifies product that is efficiently balanced between price and performance, and offers the largest assortment with high stocking levels. Perform line tools provide an economical solution with focused importance on price.  Applications where the price of the tool, and not the performance, is the most critical consideration is the focus for the Perform line taps.  The Supreme line indicates the highest level of technology and performance available.  

Universal application tools, or tools that can be used in a variety of materials are available in the Supreme line, but this is also where application-specific tools are positioned.  Taps customized for a specific material or application are branded in the Supreme line.

The versatile TC117 (blind-hole) and TC217 (through-hole) taps tackle material ranging from steel to aluminum (ISO material groups P, M, K and N), materials up to 370 HB and because of this versatility can help save on inventory costs by reducing the number of taps needed. The TC117 blind-hole tap has a 40° helix angle which allows tapping up to 2.5 x D_N with chamfer form C (semi bottoming) or E (full bottoming). The TC217 through-hole tap features a spiral point for forward chip evacuation and a thread depth capability of 3.0 × D_N. Both taps use HSS-E substrate that provides excellent durability due to its cobalt enrichment.

The new sizes include UNC, UNF, STI-UNC, STI-UNF, UN, UNS, and M thread styles, giving these highly flexible taps an even wider range of application in a variety of materials. The taps feature a TiAlN coating (grade WY80RG) for good chip control, good wear resistance and higher cutting speeds and vaporized surface treatment (grade WY80FC), which sacrifices wear resistance and cutting speeds but offers much better chip control for stringy and difficult-to-control chips such as stainless steel.