Twist drills create holes and taps form threads in steel, aluminum, and plastics. Made from HSS, Cobalt-alloyed HSS-E, or Cemented Carbide with advanced coatings, they ensure precise machining for automotive, aerospace, mouldmaking, and general industrial components.
Twist drills and taps are essential cutting tools used to produce holes and internal threads in metals, plastics, and composite materials. Twist drilling removes material through a rotating, multi‑fluted tool whose geometry—point angle, helix angle, and flute shape—determines chip evacuation and cutting stability. Common tooling materials include high‑speed steel (HSS), cobalt‑alloyed HSS‑E-PM, Cemented Carbide, and coatings such as TiN, TiAlN, or AlCrN for wear resistance and heat management. Tapping forms internal threads by cutting or cold‑forming, using straight‑flute, spiral‑flute, or roll‑forming taps selected based on ductility of the workpiece. Tooling design focuses on accurate cutting edges, optimized flute geometry, and shank interfaces suitable for CNC machines or manual operations. Proper lubrication, speed, and feed control are essential to avoid tool breakage and ensure thread quality. Applications include precision machining of automotive components, aerospace parts, mould and die features, machinery housings, and general industrial assemblies where accurate holes and threads are required.
BÖHLER S390 MICROCLEAN – “The decathlete” This grade is our PM steel with many positive usage properties. For twist drills, taps, mills, broaches, or cold-work applications, BÖHLER S390 MICROCLEAN is always a high performer.
Read MoreBÖHLER S590 MICROCLEAN – “The expert” High-speed steel manufactured in a powder metallurgy process, with good hot hardness, compressive strength, and wear resistance. PM technology gives it good toughness and excellent workability, such as the best machinability.
Read MoreBÖHLER S600 – “The high-speed steel” Ideal for mills, twist drills, and taps, broaches, cold-work tools. BÖHLER S600 is the most commonly used high-speed steel and is the starting material for our customers who deal with high-speed steel.
Read MoreUddeholm Vanadis 30 SuperClean is a cobalt alloyed powder metallurgy high speed steel with excellent compressive strength and good abrasive wear resistance. Uddeholm Vanadis 30 SuperClean is suitable for demanding cold work applications and for cutting tools as an alternative to AISI M42 or other co-alloyed HSS. The PM process gives a good machinability and grindability as well as a good dimension stability during heat treatment. In east/south east asian countries served by Assab, Uddeholm Vanadis 30 SuperClean is sold as Assab PM 30 Superclean. Benefits Good wear resistance High hot hardeness and temper back resistance High compressive strength Standard specification W.nr 1.3294 / AISI D2 / AFNOR Z130 KWDCV 9.6.5.4.3
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