TEETH per INCH or
TPI. The TPI refers to the number of Teeth per (linear) Inch measured on the circumference of the work blank diameter. For straight knurl wheels the approximate TPI, may be measured on the outside diameter of the knurling for reference purposes. For diagonal knurl wheels, the
*TPI is measured perpendicular to the teeth or helix angle. The circular pitch measurement in inches, is derived from 1 inch divided by the number of Teeth per Inch with the exception of 14, 21, and 33 TPI.
In the middle of the 20th century, some knurl manufacturers (Armstrong and Williams) sold only 3 different pitches of diagonal knurling wheels as standard:
Coarse, Medium and Fine.
They measured the pitch of their tools by the “
Transverse TPI” (TTPI) as shown below. 1/transverse circular pitch = TTPI.
The 3 pitches were:
So, for example, a 14 TTPI wheel is a slightly “finer” pitch,
not coarser, than a 16 NTPI wheel, which has caused much confusion over the years.
Except for these 3 TPI’s,
Accu-Trak, and all other current knurl manufacturers, produce their diagonal and diamond knurling wheels to the “
Normal TPI”.
(TPI) = 1/normal circular pitch.