Designing the correct hole size when preparing for tapping is important. Holes that are too large may cause the tap to strip out or fail. If the hole is too small, it will cause the tap to bind, create excessive heat, wear, and could result in a broken tap trying to cut too much
We currently have a variety of sheet metal and plastic materials available for tapping. You can quickly confirm which materials are available for tapping at our Processing Maximums and Minimums page.
For 2D vector files, we accept DXF, DWG, EPS, and AI (Adobe Illustrator) formats. For 3D files, we accept STEP and STP formats.
Yes, you can powder coated bent and tapped parts but there are a few things to know. If your powder coated parts are bent, be aware that the die witness marks from the press brake will be visible through the coating. At this time, we cannot plug tapped holes before the parts are powder
When setting up your design for tapping, make sure that the holes are sized to the correct drill size corresponding to your needed tap size.
For ideal thread engagement, your tapped hole should be 1-1.5X the bolt diameter. For example, an 6-32 bolt should have roughly (0.136”-204”) thread/material depth.
Design all tapped holes to be directly perpendicular to the main surface. We do not offer tapping at an angle. Finally, your part needs to be at least 1.5”x1.5” for us to tap it.
We calculate over two dozen factors to give you the most accurate price possible, including material, stock thickness, weight, quantity, and the overall design. Please visit our pricing page for complete details!
Everything you need to know to design for laser-cutting, CNC routing, bending, and tapping.
Everything from software-specific tutorials to material selection tips.
We have sheet metals, plastics, composites, and wood/boards for every project.
Min and Max part sizes for all our materials
No CAD File? No Problem! Send your sketch or template to our Design Services team.
We proudly use hardware by PEM
| SKU | SO-440-8 |
| Thread Size | 4-40 x .250″ |
| Hole size in sheet (+0.003/-.0.000) | .168″ |
| Minimum sheet thickness | 0.040″ |
| Maximum sheet thickness | .125″ |
| Fastener material | Steel |
| Minimum distance hole C/L to edge | 0.230″ |
| When determining the distance between two or more fasteners, you can calculate the distance by the formula, C/L to edge + 1/2 the diameter of the second mounting hole. | .314″ |
| Recommended panel material | Steel/Aluminum |
| Coating type | Zinc |
| Length | .250″ |
| Aluminum material ranges (5052, 6061, 7075) | 0.040″-0.125″ |
| Steel material ranges (CRS, HRPO, HR) | 0.048″-0.119″ |
