Rotary Broaching on a Bridgeport

Rotary Broaching on a Bridgeport

What is Rotary Broaching?

Rotary Broaching is a method of producing both internal and external forms fast and accurately on the end of a workpiece. Rotary broaching makes it possible to very accurate forms within 0.0005 inches within seconds.

With rotary broaching not only can you produce standard shapes such as hexagons and squares but also shapes such as Double Hex Rotary Broaches, 6-Lobe Rotary Broaches, Serration Rotary Broaches, J500 Rotary Broaches, Spline Rotary Broaches, Involute Rotary Broaches, Torx Rotary Broaches, Double D Rotary Broaches and any other Special Design Required. Rotary broaches can be made to just about any size, English or Metric.

Some of the material that can be rotary broached is brass, aluminum and steel and can go as much as 2 inches deep.

How Rotary Broaching Works

Rotary broaching is achieved using only two components:

1. Rotary Broach Tool Holder
2. Rotary Broach Tool

Using a set screw the rotary broach is fastened into the rotary broach tool holder spindle which is positioned to hold the tool at a 1° angle from the center of the cutting plane. The spindle within the rotary broach holder freely spins and is driven by the workpiece or the machine.
When contact is made between the rotary broach and the workpiece the rotation causes pressure to move from one corner of the rotary broach to the next corner. Designed into the side of the rotary broach is a relief angle which allows only the cutting edge to make contact with the workpiece.

Benefits of Rotary Broaching

Rotary broaching almost always cost less and can be accomplished without the need of a secondary operation or additional machine. In fact, in some cases, rotary broaching can be performed at the same time as many other operation which can increase productivity without jeopardizing accuracy.

These are just some of the many reasons that rotary broaching is becoming increasingly popular within medical, aerospace, automotive and plumbing industries.

For more information on rotary broaching or to purchase Rotary Broaches visit our website or call Polygon Solutions, Inc. at 239-628-4800.

Click here to Order Rotary Broaches Online for immediate delivery.

Polygon Rotary Broaching Solution

The Polygon Rotary Broaching Solution

Broaching is a well known process used for manufacturing flat, round, polygon and irregular machined surfaces. Both internal and external surfaces can be shaped by this process. Internal broaching requires a starting hole for the cutting tool to be inserted. Along with the many conventional types of broaching, rotary or wobble internal broaching is widely popular today on lathes and other CNC machines.

A conventional broach is designed with a pilot or guide end, roughing teeth, semi-finishing teeth and finishing teeth. Each of the teeth removes minor amounts of material until the complete form is accomplished. Secondary machines are commonly required to guide these cutters into the work piece. Surface finishes produced by broaches are relatively smooth for a machining operation, but can be improved by adding non-cutting or burnishing teeth to the end of the broach.

The rotary broach solution is ideal for cutting smaller shapes and sizes that are not very deep. A typical hexagon or other polygon shape in the fastening end of a screw is a good example. The obvious advantage of installing a rotary broach tool holder into a lathe or screw machine is that it can be done without moving the work piece to a second machine. On-machine broaching creates savings in set-up, labor, time, machinery, power, and support materials. Another advantage is that the rotary broach only uses one set of teeth, resulting in fast cycle times and less tool set-up and maintenance.

The broach is held on center at a one degree angle and is driven by the work piece. The angle makes the cutting point of the tool rotate from one corner of the polygon to the next in a continuous motion. As the broach is fed into the work piece, the polygon shape is cut in one cycle. Chips can be removed from the bottom of blind holes after the broaching is completed. These machined forms are very accurate, and the surface finish is almost always acceptable for this type of operation.

Polygon Solutions Inc. is manufacturing a variety of standard and special rotary broach tools for your lathe or CNC machining applications. Polygon’s high standard for quality and superior craftsmanship add value to each of our products and yours. Please contact us so that we can work together on your next polygon broaching solution.