Tap Test: Reaming 100+ Parts Without Wearing Out Your Operator
If you’re reaming holes on a high-volume run, you already know what it does to an operator’s body. Wrestling a handheld tool against a drill press, part after part, adds up fast. This tap test shows how a hydraulic tapping arm changes that equation.
What Problem Does This Solve
Reaming large batches of parts by hand causes operator fatigue because the operator has to control the tool’s weight and torque on every part. A hydraulic tapping arm like the FlexArm GH-60 carries that weight and gives the operator a second point of control, so the process stays consistent from part 1 to part 100 without wearing the operator down.
The Application
An end-user needed to remove roughly 10 thousandths of material to bring a set of holes up to 1.73 inches. Standard reaming job, except for one thing: they were running it on 100 or more parts per batch.
That volume is where operator fatigue becomes a real problem. Their current setup paired a drill press with a manual handheld tool, which meant the operator had to fight the tool’s weight and torque on every single part, all day long. The end-user flagged operator fatigue as a top concern specifically because of that 100+ ream volume, not just the tolerance they needed to hit.
The Setup We Recommended
We ran the tap test on our GHM-60 hydraulic arm, but the GHM-60 turned out bigger than this application actually needs. The end-user will be using the GHM-30 instead, our lighter arm, since it handles the same reaming job without the extra size and weight of the GHM-60.
The GHM-30 supports and controls the tooling through the whole reaming operation, and it’s lighter to manipulate than the GHM-60, which matters over a 100+ part run since the operator is moving it into position on every single part.
Our engineering team also put together a custom design plan to add the downward force and pressure the reaming operation calls for. That means the operator gets the force needed to ream cleanly without muscling the tool by hand.
The Result
The end user’s tolerance is 1.73 inches, plus .003, minus nothing. Current measurements are landing between 1.715 and 1.722, right within that window, with room to tighten up closer to 1.73 as the setup gets dialed in.
Same reaming job, same part count. The difference is a smoother, more controlled process that doesn’t wear the operator down over a 100-plus part run.
FAQ
What is the FlexArm GHM-30 used for? The GHM-30 is a hydraulic tapping arm that supports and controls tooling for operations like reaming, tapping, and chamfering, taking the weight and torque off the operator.
How does the arm apply the downward force needed for reaming? A custom design plan adds the downward force and pressure the operation calls for, so the operator doesn’t have to muscle the tool by hand.
Why did FlexArm test on the GHM-60 if the end user is buying the GHM-30? The tap test ran on the GHM-60, but that unit turned out larger than the application needed. The GHM-30 handles the same reaming job without the extra size and weight, so it’s the unit the customer will actually run.
How much material can this setup remove in a reaming pass? In this application, the setup removes about 10 thousandths of material to bring holes up to a 1.73-inch tolerance, on runs of 100 or more parts.
Got a Similar Problem?
If you’ve got an operation that’s tough on your operators, physically demanding, repetitive, high-volume, or all three, we want to hear about it. Give us a call, and we’ll look at what you’re working with and help you find a setup that fits.
