ABOUT EMUGE-FRANKEN
Emuge-Franken has been making precision cutting tools in Lauf, Germany since 1920. What started as a small family business built around a better way to cut threads has grown into one of the world’s most respected tooling manufacturers, with over 40,000 products used by engineers and machinists across more than 50 countries.
Their tools cover everything from threading and drilling through to milling, clamping and gauging. Whether you are running a small toolroom or a high-volume CNC production line, the Emuge-Franken range has something built for the job. Erikor Engineering Supplies stocks and distributes the full range right here in South Africa, with product knowledge and application support to back it up.
Over 100 years in the industry
Worldwide presence
Products in the range
EMUGE-FRANKEN PRODUCTS
Threading Technology
The foundation of the Emuge-Franken range
Threading is where Emuge-Franken started over 100 years ago and it remains what they are best known for worldwide. The range is broad enough to cover a small toolroom doing general work all the way through to high-volume production cutting stainless, titanium and hardened steels.
What is included:
- Machine taps for a wide range of materials and applications
- Thread milling cutters including solid carbide options for hard materials
- Thread rolls for cold forming applications
- Ring gauges, plug gauges and thread checking tools
- Cutting oils and pastes to get the best out of the tools
- Tool holders and extensions purpose built for threading setups
Milling Technology
Material removal built for modern machining
The milling range comes from the Franken side of the business, which has been producing high quality milling tools alongside the Emuge threading range for decades. Whether you are profiling, slotting, finishing or working with difficult materials, there is a cutter in the range suited to the job.
What is included:
- Solid carbide end mills with straight shanks for general and high performance work
- Milling tools with indexable inserts for heavier material removal
- Specialist cutters for high temperature alloys including ceramic options
- Skiving tools for gear and spline cutting applications
- Dental end mills for precision medical applications
- Holders and accessories for the full milling setup
Drilling Technology
Clean, accurate holes from the first cut
The Emuge-Franken drilling range is built for shops that need reliable results across different materials without having to constantly change tools or adjust setups. From general purpose drills to high feed options that cut cycle times significantly, there is a drill in the range for most applications.
What is included:
- Twist drills for steel, stainless, aluminium and general materials
- Step drills for drilling and chamfering in a single pass
- NC centre drills for accurate hole starting on CNC machines
- The PunchDrill for high feed applications with up to 50% time saving
- Holders and accessories to complete the drilling setup
Clamping Technology
Faster setups, better accuracy, less downtime
The clamping range covers both tool holding and workpiece clamping, giving you a complete system from one manufacturer. Whether you need a better way to hold your threading tools or a more repeatable workpiece setup on a five axis machine, Emuge-Franken has a solution worth looking at.
What is included:
- Softsynchro and Speedsynchro tool holders for threading applications
- FPC collet chucks for high speed milling with excellent concentricity
- EvoGrip centering vises with clamping force up to 75 kN
- EvoPoint zero-point clamping system for setup time reductions of up to 80%
- EvoBlock height adjustment options for multi-sided machining setups
- QuickLock systems for fast tool changes without removing the holder
Browse the Emuge-Franken Catalogue
The full product range in one place. Page through it below or download a copy to keep on hand.
The Emuge-Franken catalogue covers our most popular product ranges in detail, with tool specifications, dimensions, material recommendations and ordering codes. It is a useful reference whether you are speccing a new job or just checking what is available in a particular size or thread form.
OR
Not sure which tool is right for your application? Our reps can work through the catalogue with you and recommend the best option for your specific job.
Why Workshops Choose Emuge-Franken
Made in Germany
Designed and manufactured in Lauf, Bavaria to the exacting standards German precision engineering is known for.
Ideal for CNC & Manual Machines
Whether you run a single manual lathe or a bank of CNC machines, there is a tool in the range for your setup.
Tools for Difficult Materials
Stainless steel, titanium, hardened steels and high temperature alloys are no problem for the Emuge-Franken range.
Sole SA Distributor
Erikor Engineering Supplies is the only authorised source of Emuge-Franken tools in South Africa.
Delivered Across South Africa
Order from Edenvale headoffice and get your tools delivered nationwide, free on orders over R1,500.
Local Application Support
Our reps know the product range and can visit your workshop to help you spec the right tool for the job.
See Emuge-Franken Cutting Tools in Action
Watch how Emuge-Franken cutting tools perform across threading, milling and drilling applications.
PunchTap - A New Way to Cut Threads
A look at the PunchTap, Emuge-Franken’s cold forming tap that combines thread forming and chip-free cutting in a single tool. Worth watching if you run high volume threading on CNC machines.
Threading in Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is one of the more demanding materials to thread reliably. This video shows how Emuge-Franken tools handle it consistently without compromising on tool life.
The EMUGE MultiDRILL
The MultiDRILL is built to work across multiple materials without needing to swap tools. A practical option for shops that drill a variety of materials on the same machine.
Softsynchro QuickLock System
A demonstration of the Softsynchro QuickLock tap holder system, which allows fast insert changes without removing the holder from the machine, saving time on tool changeovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right tap for my material?
Choosing the right tap starts with understanding the material you’re threading. Different materials behave differently during machining, so using the correct tap can improve thread quality, extend tool life, and reduce the risk of breakages. Softer materials like aluminium require taps that evacuate chips efficiently, while tougher materials such as stainless steel often need taps designed to reduce cutting forces and heat.
You should also consider whether you’re threading a blind hole or a through hole, the thread size and pitch, machine type, cutting speed, coolant, and the quantity of components being produced. The right coating and substrate can also make a noticeable difference, especially when machining difficult materials or running high production volumes.
If you’re unsure, speak to one of Erikor’s reps. They can recommend a tap that matches your application, helping you achieve consistent results while reducing downtime and unnecessary tooling costs.
What factors should I consider when choosing a tap for aluminium or steel?
Although taps may look similar, aluminium and steel require very different cutting characteristics. Aluminium is generally softer and produces long, stringy chips, so taps with polished flutes and geometries designed for efficient chip evacuation usually perform best. These features help prevent chips from packing inside the hole and damaging the thread.
Steel, on the other hand, is stronger and places more load on the cutting edges. Choosing the correct tap geometry, coating, and cutting speeds becomes more important to reduce wear and maintain thread accuracy. The grade of steel also matters. Mild steel is easier to machine than hardened or alloy steels, which often require specialised taps.
Other factors include whether you’re tapping blind or through holes, the rigidity of your machine, coolant availability, and the number of parts you plan to produce. Selecting the right tap for the material not only improves thread quality but also increases tool life and helps avoid costly production interruptions.
Which tap type is best for stainless steel applications?
The best tap for stainless steel depends on the material grade, the type of hole (through or blind), and the machining conditions. In many stainless steel applications, roll form taps are the preferred choice because they produce strong, high-quality threads without generating chips. However, high-performance spiral flute taps and spiral point taps also offer excellent results when a cutting tap is required.
Unlike conventional cutting taps, roll form taps create threads by displacing the material rather than removing it. This chip-free process makes them ideal for blind holes, where chip build-up can cause poor thread quality or tap breakage. The cold-forming action also work-hardens the thread, producing stronger threads with an excellent surface finish and often delivering significantly longer tool life. Roll form taps are best suited to ductile stainless steels, such as 304 and 316 grades, and require the correct pre-drill size along with adequate lubrication to achieve optimal performance.
When thread cutting is required, the tap style should match the application. Spiral flute taps are generally the best option for blind holes because they lift chips out of the hole, while spiral point (gun) taps are better suited to through holes, where they push chips ahead of the tap for efficient chip evacuation.
Because stainless steel is tough, work-hardens quickly, and generates considerable heat during machining, selecting a high-quality tap is essential. Premium HSS-E (cobalt), powder metallurgy, or solid carbide taps, combined with advanced wear-resistant coatings such as TiN, TiCN, or AlCrN, can improve tool life, reduce friction, and deliver more consistent threading performance.
For the best results, the tap should always be matched to the stainless steel grade, thread specification, and machining conditions. Using the correct cutting speed, rigid machine setup, and a high-performance tapping lubricant or coolant will help maximise thread quality, extend tool life, and minimise the risk of tap failure.
Not sure what type of tap to use connect with one of our rep’s.
Click the button below and complete our request form.
What is the best holder type for tapping operations on a CNC machine?
The best holder for tapping on a CNC machine depends on the machine’s capabilities and the application. For modern CNC machining centres equipped with rigid tapping, a synchronised tapping holder, such as the EMUGE Softsynchro® tapping holder, is widely regarded as one of the best solutions for achieving maximum thread quality, tool life, and process reliability.
Although rigid tapping synchronises the spindle rotation with the feed rate, small synchronisation errors can still occur due to factors such as servo acceleration, encoder resolution, thermal expansion, or machine wear. A standard rigid tap holder transfers these forces directly to the tap, increasing cutting loads and the risk of premature tool wear or breakage.
The EMUGE Softsynchro® tapping holder is designed to compensate for these minor synchronisation variations through a patented minimum-length compensation system. Rather than allowing excessive movement, it absorbs small axial forces while transmitting full torque to the tap. This reduces stress on the cutting edges, improves thread accuracy, produces a superior surface finish, and can significantly extend tap life, particularly when machining challenging materials such as stainless steel, titanium, nickel alloys, and hardened steels.
For machines that do not support rigid tapping, a tension and compression tapping holder (also known as a floating tapping holder) is typically recommended. These holders compensate for larger feed and pitch differences, helping to prevent tap breakage on older CNC machines and conventional machining centres.
When using roll form taps, a high-precision synchronised holder is especially beneficial. Roll form taps generate higher torque than conventional cutting taps and require excellent concentricity and alignment to produce strong, accurate threads consistently.
Regardless of the holder selected, using a high-quality tapping system with minimal runout, together with the correct tap, cutting parameters, and lubrication, is essential for producing reliable threads, maximising productivity, and extending tool life.
Not sure what type of holder to use connect with one of our rep’s.
Click the button below and complete our request form.
Need Help Choosing the Right Tool?
Our team is ready to help you find the right tool for the job. Fill in the form and one of our reps will get back to you shortly.
