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New App Calculates Drill Diameters

June 2, 2011
Free download converts variables to identify best choice for desired thread size

Dormer’s Threadsize Calculator is free to download from the iTunes App store. A ‘Product Selector’ app that will customize advice cutting tool selection and operating parameters is in development for launched in 2012.

An iPhone “app” capable of calculating the exact diameter of the drill required for precise thread-creating operations has been developed by Dormer Tools. The ‘Dormer Tools Threadsize Calculator’ was designed to help engineers and machinists quickly and accurately select the optimum drill diameter needed to create a thread.

A business unit of Sandvik AB, Dormer Tools has developed from a traditional cutting-tool manufacturer into one of the world’s largest producers of solid carbide and high-speed steel drills, reamers, taps and milling cutters.

“When you want to create a screw thread using a tap, you first need to pre-drill the hole,” Thomas Junfors, Dormer Tools senior project manager, said. “There are formulae that can be used to calculate the recommended tapping drill diameter, but as there are numerous different types and standards of taps available the recommended dimensions can vary, so it is crucial to get this right. The App takes the user through each of the various steps and factors to calculate the right diameter for you.

“The user inputs the size of their desired thread, selects the process and relevant standard, and the calculator determines the correct drill size to use,” he continued.

Unlike similar applications now available, Dormer’s Threadsize Calculator is free to download from the iTunes App store and is the first in a series of apps set to be launched by Dormer.

A ‘Product Selector’ app that will promote increased productivity and efficiency by giving users personalised advice on the best cutting tool and operating parameters is currently in development and is due to be launched in 2012.

Junfors said, “At Dormer we are committed to helping our customers carry out their machining processes in the most efficient way possible.

“We invest significantly in research and development at our Advanced Manufacturing Park base, so that we can share our expertise with industry partners and customers alike.

“This App and the Apps to come all fit in with that ethos. It’s about selecting the right tool for the job in order to get the best results.”