While many manufacturers can afford to buy new broaches every few years, small businesses often can’t justify such expenditures. In fact, new broaches can cost as much as $2,000! To avoid needing to spend this much money every time, it’s better to take good care of your old broaches in between uses. In addition to extending the life of your broaches, this practice will cut your production costs and help you reap more profit from your high-volume production runs.
One of the most common shapes of broaches is the keyway shape. When using keyway broaches, the horn is inserted into the part to be machined, and then the tooth on the broach is fitted into a slot in the horn and pushed through. The keyway cut by keyway broaches is perfect for cutting virtually any internal shape, as the tooth will be the exact size of the keyway. In addition to keyways, keyway broaches can also cut splines, with teeth of different shapes, including straight-sided, helical, and involute.
Broaches are long, multi-tooth cutting tools that are used in high-volume production. The number of teeth on each tooth varies, and the rise per tooth indicates how much material is removed per pass. The teeth in a broach are also divided into roughing, semi-finishing, and finishing. The former type of broach produces parts with a good surface finish, which makes it competitive with other cutting methods such as milling.
Keyway broaches are a type of keyway drill that uses multiple teeth to create a square hole. The tool can be sharpened multiple times to increase tool life, while one-pass keyway broaches are ideal for cutting the full width of a workpiece in a single pass. Hexagon broaches, on the other hand, are designed for rapid production runs of identical keyways in a single pass. They’re self-supporting and can handle heavy workpieces, and can be used in high-volume production runs.
The rotary broaching process is an important part of high-volume machining processes. The process can be applied to a variety of metals and solid materials. High-speed steel, can be used for high-volume production. Somma Tool recommends the use of Forte for its cost effectiveness and chip-resistant properties, while T15 is more durable than Forte. It is important to note that some tools are more expensive than others, so it is worth considering a rotary broaching machine if you have limited quantities and shapes.
Because of its precision, the broaching process is used for high-volume, complex cuts. Although it’s primarily used for materials with a hardness of 28 or 30 Rockwell C, production companies have used materials as hard as 32 Rockwell C. A new broach can last up to 8,000 cuts. Properly cared for, it can even go up to 60,000 cuts. This is an exceptional number for a tool that’s used on a daily basis.
There are two primary types of internal and external broaches. The simplest type is the round hole broach, which uses a series of teeth around the tool to cut the outer edge of the workpiece. For soft, ductile metals, a chipbreaker may be needed to prevent the cutting tool from cracking. The keyway broach, on the other hand, cuts a keyway into the bore of the workpiece, using a slotted horn to guide the tool through the keyway. You can purchase broached items from Somma Tool.
There are also three basic types of broaches. Surface broaching involves the use of a holder to hold the workpiece. The holder also serves as the mounting mechanism of the broaching machine. The elevator then lowers the tool into the workpiece. The puller releases the follower and then pulls the tool through the workpiece. This is done repeatedly until the desired finish is achieved. Most broaches are designed to work with a variety of materials, including plastics.
Most vertical broaching machines are hydraulically driven. They can handle large strokes, but the downside to these machines is that they take up more floor space. If you’re working in a small space, horizontal broaching machines are likely to be the most efficient choice for your needs. Moreover, they tend to last longer than vertical broaching machines. That’s why they are the most common choice for small and medium-sized manufacturing operations. In addition, they are easy to use and can be found in almost every industry.
