General purpose chip-free taps are intended for threading a wide range of materials. Also called thread-forming taps, these taps produce cleaner, stronger, and more accurate threads than taps that cut threads. They press against the sides of a hole to form threads as they are rotated into the hole. They don't produce chips, which eliminates the need to clear chips from the hole and prevents threads from being deformed during tapping. These taps are used on machines such as a drill presses, lathes, or CNC machines.