One of the most common questions is: What Material Can I Rotary Broach?
An array of various materials are suitable for rotary broaching/wobble broaching. Most material that can be cut during the machining process can also be broached using a rotary broach and a rotary broach tool holder. The most common materials used in rotary broaching are alloy metals, aluminum, brass, plastics and carbon fiber. Rotary broaching is not limited to just these materials. Leaded and low carbon materials are also suitable for rotary broaching however, the higher the carbon content is, the more difficult the rotary broaching process becomes. See our Feed and Speed Charts to assist you in successfully cutting these materials.
It is important to note that the material’s Tensile Strength (TS) is a major factor on how the material will respond during the broaching process. Just like the carbon content, the higher the Tensile Strength the less likely it becomes to successfully broach the material.
Frequent materials used for rotary broaching include:
⊕ Aluminum
⊕ Titanium
⊕ Alloy Steel
⊕Stainless Steel
⊕ Brass
⊕ Plastic
⊕ 12L14
Though we might not recommend the rotary broaching of certain materials, it certainly does not mean these materials cannot be broached. Opening up your pre-drill diameter or broaching a shallow depth may allow you to achieve rotary broaching on certain materials, however, broaching these materials can reduce the rotary broach tool life.
As technology improves and testing continues on various materials, we are confident that we will soon be able to recommend additional materials that can be broached using rotary broaching.