Internal Broaching

Internal broaches are either pulled or pushed through a starter hole. The machines can range from fully automated multi stationed verticals to horizontal pull types to simple presses. The design idea is somewhat similar to that of a chipbreaking slot, but the cutting edge has been drastically reduced and the slots between the teeth have become much deeper. Internal broaching teeth are heavier, to withstand the heavy cutting load, and are spaced in staggered fashion along the axis of the broach to generate the entire circumference of the hole. The tools are designed to take deep cuts underneath a poor-quality surface. Once this surface has been penetrated, the balance of the broaching tool proceeds to semi-finish and finish underlying metal in the normal manner.

Rotary Internal Broaching

Rotary Internal Broaching occurs when the material being broached is rotating in order to obtain a finer finish and also making it easier to be cut through. Many factors must be taken into account when this type of internal broaching is done, these include determining the broach size which will be the actual size of the hole. The proper broach tool material must be used which in most cases is high speed steel and powdered metal with a tighter grain structure for higher wear-ability. Another important factor that must be taken into consideration when internal broaching is the pilot hole diameter and depth these are normally chosen from a chart according to the desired broach. The pilot hole is a very important part of internal broaching as it avoids excessive packing of chips and packing of residue material. Another important part of internal broaching is the fluid that cools the mechanism. Normally any water or oil based fluid can be used unless it is a very specific job being done. When broaching internally it is a must to apply the fluid on the tip of the broach prior to contacting the workpiece and not inside the pilot hole and trapped fluid may not be able to escape, creating a hydraulic resistance which will prevent the full depth of the broach.