4.0 mm drill size

    A 4.0 mm metric drill is 0.1575 in (4.000 mm).

    Decimal inch
    0.1575
    Millimeters
    4.000
    Nearest 1/64
    5/32" (+0.0012)
    Type
    metric drill

    Nearest equivalents in other systems

    Drills closest to 4.0 mm
    SystemDrillInchmmDifference
    Fractional5/32"0.15633.969-0.0012 in
    Number / letter#220.15703.988-0.0005 in

    Speeds and feeds: in mild steel an HSS drill starts at about 2,180 RPM and 0.0039 in/rev (8.50 IPM); in 6061 aluminum about 6,060 RPM.

    4.0 mm drill speeds and feeds by material

    Jobber-length twist drill, D = 0.1575 in. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D, rounded to 10. Feed per rev scales with diameter and material; IPM = RPM × IPR.

    4.0 mm drilling speeds
    MaterialHSS SFMHSS RPMCarbide SFMCarbide RPMFeed (in/rev)HSS IPMCarbide IPM
    Aluminum (6061)2506,06060014,5500.003722.453.8
    Brass / free-machining1503,6404009,7000.003111.330.1
    Low-carbon steel (1018)902,1803007,2800.00398.5028.4
    Alloy steel (4140, annealed)701,7002506,0600.00396.6323.6
    Stainless 304409701503,6400.00262.529.46
    Gray cast iron801,9402506,0600.00254.8515.2
    Titanium 6Al-4V256101002,4300.00191.164.62
    Plastics (acetal)3007,28050012,1300.004734.257.0

    Metric: Vc (m/min) = SFM × 0.3048; feed (mm/rev) = in/rev × 25.4. In steel, 2,180 RPM × 0.099 mm/rev = 216 mm/min.

    Worked example: 4.0 mm drill in 1018 steel

    1. HSS drill in low-carbon steel: 90 SFM.
    2. RPM = 3.82 × 90 ÷ 0.1575 ≈ 2,180 RPM.
    3. Feed for a 0.157 in drill in mild steel ≈ 0.0039 in/rev.
    4. IPM = 2,180 × 0.0039 = 8.50 IPM.

    Peck cycle by hole depth

    4.0 mm drill: depth and canned cycle
    DepthCyclePeckNote
    3×D = 0.472 in (12 mm)G81 (no peck)NoneUp to 3×D a sharp drill clears chips on its own.
    5×D = 0.787 in (20 mm)G73 chip-break1 × DChip-break pecks; full retract if chips pack (soft aluminum, stainless).
    8×D = 1.260 in (32 mm)G83 full retract0.5-1 × D, shrinking with depthRetract to clear chips; reduce feed ~10-20% past 5×D.

    Taps that use a 4.0 mm drill

    No standard UNC, UNF or metric tap in our tables calls for a 4.0 mm drill. Use it for clearance, pilot or reamer prep holes.

    Nearest drills

    • #22: 0.1570 in / 3.988 mm (-0.0005 in)
    • 5/32": 0.1563 in / 3.969 mm (-0.0012 in)
    • #21: 0.1590 in / 4.039 mm (+0.0015 in)
    • #23: 0.1540 in / 3.912 mm (-0.0035 in)

    Common questions

    What is a 4.0 mm drill in decimal and mm?
    0.1575 in, or 4.000 mm; nearest fractional drill: 5/32" (0.1563 in, -0.0012 in); nearest number / letter drill: #22 (0.1570 in, -0.0005 in).
    What RPM for a 4.0 mm drill in steel?
    In low-carbon steel (1018) an HSS 4.0 mm drill (0.1575 in) runs about 2,180 RPM at 90 SFM; a carbide drill about 7,280 RPM at 300 SFM. RPM = 3.82 × SFM ÷ D.
    What feed for a 4.0 mm drill?
    About 0.0039 in/rev in mild steel, 0.0037 in/rev in aluminum and 0.0026 in/rev in 304 stainless. At 2,180 RPM that is 8.50 IPM in steel (IPM = RPM × IPR).
    What RPM for a 4.0 mm drill in aluminum?
    6,060 RPM with HSS (250 SFM) or up to 14,550 RPM with carbide (600 SFM), feeding about 0.0037 in/rev.
    What size is a 4.0 mm drill?
    0.1575 in / 4.000 mm. The nearest other drills are #22 (0.1570 in), 5/32" (0.1563 in), #21 (0.1590 in).

    Nearby drill sizes

    Sources

    Material feed multipliers (aluminum 1.3×, brass 1.1×, 4140 0.85×, stainless and titanium 0.7× the mild-steel feed) are JobLine estimates. Peck guidance is JobLine shop practice. Use your drill maker's data first.

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