BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Knurling Set-up (Tracking Blank Diameter, Speed, Time)
Will my knurl track on this blank diameter, what diameter should I turn to instead, and what speed and time does the knurling pass need?
Set-up of a straight knurling operation: teeth that fit around the planned blank and the nearest diameters that give a whole number of teeth so the knurl tracks (as the knurling blank diameter tool), whether the planned blank lies within your tolerance of a tracking diameter, spindle speed from the knurling speed, and time for the passes along the length at the feed.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Knurl system | choice | Whether the knurl is specified by circular pitch (metric) or diametral pitch (inch). |
| Circular pitch | mm | Circular pitch of the knurl. |
| Diametral pitch (teeth per inch of diameter) | 1/in | Diametral pitch of the knurl. |
| Planned blank diameter | mm | Blank diameter you plan to turn, in millimetres. |
| Diameter tolerance for tracking | mm | How close the blank must be to a tracking diameter. |
| Cutting | ||
| Knurling speed | m/min | Surface speed for knurling (your value for the material). |
| Feed along the work | mm/rev | Axial feed per revolution for knurling along the work. |
| Knurled length | mm | Length to be knurled. |
| Passes | Number of passes along the length. | |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Knurl system
- What it is
- Whether the knurl is specified by circular pitch (the tooth spacing in millimetres, metric) or by diametral pitch (teeth per inch of diameter, inch knurls).
- Units and format
- Choose one of 2 options from the list: Circular pitch (metric); Diametral pitch (inch).
- Example
- The form opens with “Circular pitch (metric)” selected as a worked example. Choose the option that matches your case.
- Get it right
- Only the pitch input for the chosen system is used.
What this means: Circular pitch
- What it is
- The tooth spacing of a metric knurl measured around the circumference, from the knurl marking or catalogue. Used only for circular pitch.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 10 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- It is the circular pitch, not the knurl wheel diameter.
What this means: Diametral pitch (teeth per inch of diameter)
- What it is
- The number of knurl teeth per inch of work diameter for an inch knurl, from the knurl marking or catalogue. Used only for diametral pitch.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in 1/in: threads per inch. The form accepts 0.000001 1/in to 400 1/in. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 96 1/in as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Do not type teeth per inch of circumference (TPI); diametral pitch is per inch of diameter.
What this means: Planned blank diameter
- What it is
- The diameter you plan to turn the blank to before knurling. The tool checks whether a whole number of knurl teeth fits around it.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 10000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 20.05 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Type millimetres, even for an inch knurl.
What this means: Diameter tolerance for tracking
- What it is
- How close the blank diameter must be to a diameter that gives a whole number of teeth for the knurl to track cleanly.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0 mm to 5 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 0.02 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Take it from your shop experience or the knurl maker’s guidance.
Cutting
What this means: Knurling speed
- What it is
- The surface speed of the work for knurling, your value for the material and knurl type.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m/min: metres per minute. The form accepts 0.000001 m/min to 500 m/min. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 20 m/min as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Higher speed raises spindle speed and shortens the time.
- Get it right
- Type metres per minute.
What this means: Feed along the work
- What it is
- The axial feed of the knurling tool along the work for each revolution of the spindle.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm/rev: millimetres per revolution. The form accepts 0.000001 mm/rev to 5 mm/rev. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 0.2 mm/rev as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Knurling time falls in proportion as feed rises.
- Get it right
- This is feed per revolution, not per minute.
What this means: Knurled length
- What it is
- The length along the work to be knurled.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 10000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 25 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Knurling time is proportional to length.
What this means: Passes
- What it is
- The number of times the knurling tool travels along the knurled length to reach full form.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 1 to 20. Use a whole number. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 2 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Knurling time is proportional to the number of passes.
Method and formulas
- Teeth = π D ÷ circular pitch, or P × D (inches) for diametral pitch; tracking diameters give whole numbers of teeth (as the knurling blank diameter tool).
- Distance from the planned blank to the nearest tracking diameter against the tolerance.
- n = 1000 v_c ÷ π D; time = length × passes ÷ (feed × n).
- Example: 20.05 mm gives 62.989 teeth; the nearest tracking diameter is 20.054 mm; knurling takes 47.242 s at 317.52 rpm.
Limitations
- Straight knurling with the knurl axis parallel to the work.
- The knurl raises the diameter; allow for it in the finished size.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Turn the right blank diameter before knurling
- Avoid double tracking on a knurled handle
- Estimate the knurling time
Who it is for
- Machinists
- CNC programmers
- Toolroom staff
What you get
- Teeth on the planned blank and the nearest tracking diameters
- Tracking check
- Spindle speed and knurling time
Interpreting the result
- Turning the blank to a tracking diameter is the surest cure for double tracking.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 991–997. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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Open the Knurling Set-up (Tracking Blank Diameter, Speed, Time) calculator