Broaching is a highly effective process that rivals milling and boring. For mass produced products, broaching is often an ideal solution. It is not nearly as effective for short-run production operations, since individual broaching tools can cost tens of thousands of dollars. To understand the broaching process, it is necessary to know what a broach is.
A typical broach looks a lot like a tube notched with thick, unsharpened teeth. Each tooth stands out slightly further than the previous one, so that the finishing teeth at one end are considerably wider than the front pilot section. Typically, this type of broach is sent through a circular hole in a work-piece, and completes its finishing job in one pass. Broaches are also used to cut external shapes, such as splines and keyways. Keyway broaches are long, rectangular pieces of steel with similar teeth notched into one end. Certain broaches, called rotor-cut broaches, are designed so that a succession of teeth have the same diameter, but are notched in such a way that each one only cuts a portion of the desired hole.
A broaching machine is simply a powered apparatus that sends the broach through the work-piece. Broaching machines rely on hydraulic drives. They are typically either vertical or horizontal machines. Vertical broaching machines operate in pull-down or pull-up varieties. This refers to the direction that the broach is pulled. A pull-down broach lowers the front pilot into the pre-made hole in the work-piece, and then the widening row of teeth is pulled down through the hole. Horizontal broaching machines are normally used for surface broaching. They work in a similar fashion to vertical machines, except that they operate from side-to-side on a horizontal plane. They still complete work in a single pass, however, from one side to the other. They are useful in operations that demand a rotating broach.
A broach performs functions similar to those of a saw, except that it completes its task in one movement through the material. Because of this, broaches do not have very fast speeds, though they still have exceptional output. Most of the time consumed in a broaching operation is spent loading and unloading parts, and in the time it takes for the broach to return to first position.
A typical broach looks a lot like a tube notched with thick, unsharpened teeth. Each tooth stands out slightly further than the previous one, so that the finishing teeth at one end are considerably wider than the front pilot section. Typically, this type of broach is sent through a circular hole in a work-piece, and completes its finishing job in one pass. Broaches are also used to cut external shapes, such as splines and keyways. Keyway broaches are long, rectangular pieces of steel with similar teeth notched into one end. Certain broaches, called rotor-cut broaches, are designed so that a succession of teeth have the same diameter, but are notched in such a way that each one only cuts a portion of the desired hole.
A broaching machine is simply a powered apparatus that sends the broach through the work-piece. Broaching machines rely on hydraulic drives. They are typically either vertical or horizontal machines. Vertical broaching machines operate in pull-down or pull-up varieties. This refers to the direction that the broach is pulled. A pull-down broach lowers the front pilot into the pre-made hole in the work-piece, and then the widening row of teeth is pulled down through the hole. Horizontal broaching machines are normally used for surface broaching. They work in a similar fashion to vertical machines, except that they operate from side-to-side on a horizontal plane. They still complete work in a single pass, however, from one side to the other. They are useful in operations that demand a rotating broach.
A broach performs functions similar to those of a saw, except that it completes its task in one movement through the material. Because of this, broaches do not have very fast speeds, though they still have exceptional output. Most of the time consumed in a broaching operation is spent loading and unloading parts, and in the time it takes for the broach to return to first position.
In the hydraulic machines category, the broaching machines are known for their accuracy and superior finish. Broaching Machine is a highly innovative metal cutting process, wherein the metal is detached by successive actions of the cutting teeth number incorporated in the tool called Broach.
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