Material Removal Manufacturing

Processes
MACH71685
Dr. Liviu Radulescu, P.Eng.
4. Thread manufacturing
4.1 Screw threads and screws
4.2 Thread standards
4.3 Thread classes
4.4 Thread measurement
4.5 Making screw threads

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 4. Thread manufacturing
4.1 Screw threads and screws
Screw thread (thread) – a ridge
wrapped around a cylinder to
form a helical structure used
to convert between rotational
and linear movement or force.
The thread is the essential
feature of the screw as a
simple machine and also as a
fastener.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw_thread

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA851C9ixjQ

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 4.1 Screw threads and screws
• Lead – the linear distance the screw
travels in one revolution
– In most applications, the lead of a screw
thread is chosen so that friction is
sufficient to prevent linear motion being
converted to rotary motion.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw_thread

• Pitch – the distance from the crest of See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK_PpWN296U

one thread to the next

• Metric (ISO) threads:
– described using their pitch
• Inch (Unified) threads:
– described using the number of threads
per inch (TPI).

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 4.1 Screw threads and screws
• The most common screw
thread form is the one with
a symmetrical V-profile.
The included angle is 60°.
Source: http://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Article%20-%20Screw%20Threads%20Design.pdf

• Diameters:
– minor
– pitch
– major

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 4.1 Screw threads and screws
• The major diameter can be directly measured
with a micrometer, caliper or steel rule.
• The minor diameter can be determined by
direct measurement on an optical comparator
or by measuring the depth of the thread with
a depth micrometer and subtracting twice the
measured depth of thread from the major
diameter.

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 4.1 Screw threads and screws
• The pitch diameter is the diameter at which
the thread tooth and the thread space are
equal. To accurately measure the pitch
diameter requires an optical comparator or
thread wires.

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 4.2 Thread standards
To facilitate their use, screw threads have been
standardized:
– standard inch dimension threads: UN (unified) series (US-
Canada-UK)
– standard metric dimension thread: ISO series
Examples:
 #4-40  .5
 1/4-20  5/8
 M30.35
How to read a screw thread callout?
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 4.2 Thread standards
• The size most commonly associated with screw
threads is the nominal diameter. This is the rounded
value of the major diameter of the screw thread.
• Nominal diameter is a more of a label than a size.
– For example, a bolt and nut may be described as being 0.5
in. diameter (½”). But neither the external threads of the
bolt nor the internal threads of the nut are exactly 0.500 in
diameter. In fact, the bolt diameter is a little smaller and
the nut diameter a little larger. But it is easier to specify
the components by a single size designation since the bolt
and nut are mating components.
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 4.2 Thread standards
• Unified series:
– A screw thread is described by indicating first the nominal
diameter. There are numbered diameters #0 through #10, with 0
the smallest and 10 the largest. After this, fractional sizes are
used (see data sheet)
• Diameters #12 and #14 may also be found, but are usually on older
equipment.
• The major diameter = 0.060” + 0.013”  (numbered diameter). So, #2
has a major diameter of 0.086”.
• The odd numbers exist, but the even numbers are in far more common
use.
– the second number given is threads per inch. For instance, a 1/4-
20 screw has 20 threads per inch.

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 4.2 Thread standards
– The length of the thread is generally given after a
 symbol. The length of most screws is measured
from the bottom of the head.

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 4.2 Thread standards
• Metric series (ISO):
– Identified by the letter M
– the number following the M is the nominal
diameter of the thread in millimeters (e.g. M10)
– the second number given after the  symbol is the
thread pitch, in mm. Thus, an M2  0.4 screw has
threads every 0.4 mm.
See also: http://www.engineersedge.com/screw_threads_chart.htm and textbook,
page 113-114

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 4.2 Thread standards
• You may encounter this type of callout:
M5-.4  15
This is an ANSI callout for a metric thread with a
nominal diameter of 5 mm, a pitch of 0.4 mm and
a length of 15 millimeters.

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 4.3 Thread classes
• Thread classes: 1, 2, or 3
– refer to the tightness of the fit. The most common
thread classes are 2A or 2B. A indicates an
external thread (e.g., on a screw or bolt). B
indicates an internal thread (e.g., on a nut).
– You may see the abbreviations UNC (unified
coarse) and UNF (unified fine). These refer to
standard series of thread pitch (see tables).

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 4.3 Thread classes
• To simplify metric thread callouts, the
international (ISO) standard for metric threads
eliminates the pitch callout on coarse threads.
For example, the thread "M10" automatically
means a coarse pitch, while any added pitch
callout, such as M101.25, specifies a non-
coarse pitch.

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 4.4 Thread measurement
• For an external thread:
– What is important to determine?
• pitch diameter
– The measurement can be accomplished by gauges, thread
micrometers, special machines or thread wires.
– Problem with gauges and micrometers: you require one for
each size of thread
– Problem with special machines: cost
– Thread wires use conventional micrometers to measure
the thread

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 4.4 Thread measurement
• Wire measurement uses
three ground cylinders
that fit into the Vs of
the thread – two on one
side and one on the
other.
• The value to be
measured is M, the
Source: http://littlemachineshop.com/instructions/ThreeWireMethod.pdf

dimension over wires.

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4.4 Thread measurement

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 4.4 Thread measurement
• For Unified (UN) 60° threads (inch) the formula to calculate the
pitch diameter is:

Pitch Diameter (E) = M – C

where
M = D – 1.5155 P + 3 W
and the constant C
C = 3 W - 0.86603 P
Here:
M= dimension over the wires
D = nominal outside diameter of the thread
P = pitch of the thread
W = wire diameter
C = a constant defined above.
Source: www.nist.gov/.../on_the_measurement_of_thread_measuring_wires.pdf

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 4.4 Thread measurement
• The previous formulae assume that thread
wires of a known diameter contact the
threaded flanks on the pitch line.
• The wire diameter for pitch-line contact is
W = 0.57735 P
Acceptable values for the wire diameter are:
Minimum 0.56 P
Maximum 0.9 P

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 4.4 Thread measurement
To determine the pitch diameter of an existing
thread, do this:
1. Determine the wire diameter, W (W = 0.57735 P)
or pick the closest available wire size from the
chart
2. Attach the wires and measure the distance M
3. Calculate C or take the value from the chart
4. Calculate the pitch diameter E (E = M – C)

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 4.4 Thread measurement
Worked example:
• Determine the distance over wires for a
1.0 – 14 UNC thread and then determine the
ideal pitch diameter.

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 4.4 Thread measurement
• Wire Size: W = 0.57735 P
• W = 0.57735  1/14 = 0.0412 in
• Use 0.040 in wires [0.56  (1/14) = 0.040]
Find the distance over wires:
• M = D – 1.5155 P + 3 W
• M = 1.000 – 1.5155  (1/14) + 3  0.04 = 1.0118 in
Find the pitch diameter:
• E = M – C = M – (3 W – 0.86603 P) = 0.9500 in ideally;
using 0.040 in wires, E = 0.9536 in
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 4.4 Thread measurement

• You should never get a value M less than the

outside diameter.
• The value should be relatively close to the
outside diameter.

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 4.4 Thread measurement
• Most of the time the data sheets list the pitch
diameter E for the class of fit. What were these
classes?
• 1, 2 and 3
– Class 1 is loose fit; 2 is standard fit; 3 is tight fit.
• Letter A after the thread class = external
threads.
• Letter B after the thread class = internal threads.

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 4.4 Thread measurement

Source: http://littlemachineshop.com/instructions/ThreeWireMethod.pdf

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 4.4 Thread measurement
Recommended practice:
• Complete questions 14 – 17 on your study
sheet (see textbook, page 13).
– The available wire sizes are:
• 0.092 in.
• 0.098 in.
• 0.101 in.
• 0.110 in.

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 4.5 Making screw threads
• To create an external thread:
– a die is used to cut the material (e.g., a screw)

• To create an internal thread:

– A hole is created first using a tap drill;
– The thread is then cut
• by hand, by using a set of taps, or
• using a machine to do the tapping, such as a lathe.

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 4.5 Making screw threads
Determining thread tap drill sizes
• In the metric system the tap drill size is found
by subtracting the pitch value from the major
diameter
– e.g., to create a M8–1.25 thread, the drill side will
have OD = 6.75mm

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 4.5 Making screw threads
• For the unified threads, use the data sheet (inch)
supplied (Textbook, page 113)
• E.g., determine the tap drill size for the following
threads:
5/8 – 11 UNC
• 17/32 drill (page 113)
#4 – 48 UNF
• #42 drill
M6 – 1.0
• 5.0 (Subtract the pitch value from the OD to determine the tap
drill size)

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