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 S393 MICROCLEAN – “Standardized” This grade complies with the ASTM A600 AISI T15 material standard with higher carbon content. With MICROCLEAN technology, this material shows excellent reliability in many cutting and cold-work applications.
Read MoreBÖHLER S401 – “The conventional” This grade is part of the family of molybdenum-alloyed high-speed steels and its winning performance is matched by its good cost effectiveness.
Read MoreBÖHLER S500 – “The fireproof one” In the family of conventional high-speed steels, this alloy combines excellent cutting properties with very high hot hardness.
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 MoreBÖHLER S630 – “The economical one” Tungsten-molybdenum high-speed steel with aluminum alloy for great toughness and good machinability. Universally usable for taps and twist drills, reamers, metal saws, mills of all types, and woodworking tools.
Read MoreBÖHLER S705 – “The industrial one” The conventional high-speed steel for industrial applications in machining. With a well-balanced alloy position and cobalt content, this type always manages to get the job done. Cobalt-alloyed molybdenum high-speed steel with high hardness, excellent cutting properties, outstanding compressive strength, high hot hardness, and good toughness.
Read MoreThe cost-effectiveness of high speed steels is strongly dependent on their alloy components. Strong fluctuations in the raw materials market and resulting price variations have compelled voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl to rethink the basic alloy concepts of the high speed steels in our product portfolio. The result is the patented BÖHLER S730 material, which is an economical alternative to the generally applicable standard sort 1.3243 or M35 (BÖHLER S705). Despite its economic advantage, BÖHLER S730 is fully equivalent to the standard 1.3243 in terms of performance.
Read MoreUddeholm Vanadis 30 SuperClean is a cobolt alloyed powder metallurgy high speed steel with excellent compressive strength and good abrasive wear resistance. Uddeholm Vanadis 30 Super Clean 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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