TABLE OF CONTENTS Although tapers can be found in milling applications, they are mainly used for parts machined on CNC lathes. This chapter covers the mathematics behind tapers and presents a number of programming examples. Strictly speaking, every chamfer you program on a part is a taper.
First a common mathematical definition:
Taper is defined as a uniform change in the part diameter, measured along an axis
A taper is a conical shape between two diameters, which means a taper is the difference between two diameters at each end of a given part, measured along the centerline of the part. Taper can also be defined as the dimensional difference of two diameters over a given length.
The illustration shows an external and an internal taper on a typical lathe part
Common tapers are expressed in ratios, typical in the metric system, but also used in the Imperial system, or as a taper per foot or a taper per inch. Tapers are defined in three ways:
Taper-per-foot (TPF) Imperial units only (3 TPF)
Ratio of the taper length to diameter typically metric units (1:10)
Taper length and included angle in degrees Imperial or metric tapers (12 15 )
In manufacturing, there are many tapers that are unique to a machine or cutting tools. For example, cutting tool holders identified as BT, CAT (V-flanges), HSK, etc., have a special taper to match the type of machine spindle. Other very common types of tapers are Morse
