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Spline Broaching

megbers

Aluminum
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Location
San Antonio
I need to make a shift lever for a dirtbike and i was wondering if a special machine tool was required for spline broaching or if i could use my vf-4 or vf-2. Any suggestions on tools/manufacturers? The spline will be a little over .53" max od, .5" deep, and around 30 splines. Thanks!
 
there is an option on the newer machines ( 2000ish and newer )where you can orientate the spindle in 1 degree incraments (EXAMPLE.. M19 R10. ), we orientate and position, rapid down, feed away from the part a few thou, rapid up, back over the part and back down. we would use a hss square toolbit for the broach for a one off type thing and take .01 per pass with a free ride on the last pass. if you dont have a cad-cam or the required math skills you can use your bolt hole pattern to find the positions.
 
If you are going to make a ton of these, rotary broaching is the way to go. Slater or Somma will make the tool if you don't want to grind it yourself. I've got one a little bigger than that, probably fewer splines.

If this is for one or a few dozen, I've made a couple, two ways.

1.) Use a junk shaft, cut to lenght as useful, grind a slight pilot on the end and be sure the shoulder (where the splines are) is somewhat sharp, i.e., not ragged. Ram it through with an arbor press. The hole can be a little over sized as this is a partially extruding/forming operation like a fluteless tap. If the shifter is slit with a pinch bolt, do that operation last so it can tighten up.

2.) Use a dividing head & 4 jaw or fixture plate to hold the work, centered on the bore. set up on vertical milling machine and use the quill with appropriate tool to slot it out manually.

If your Haas has the capability, it should be a piece of cake.

smt
 
Ash gear is a likely source for a push or pull broach - http://www.ashgear.com/broachfull.htm

Slater tool may have a tool to cut your part - http://www.slatertools.com/rotarybroaches.htm

Either of these are expensive for one part. Stephen Thomas has the answer for that.

BTW, the technical term for what you need is 'serration', because the teeth are straight from root to tip even though set at an angle, splines are either an involute curve on the sides or they are straight with parallel sides. I'm just pointing this out because the people you talk to about this will correct you right away and we want you to sound knowledgeable when you call. :smoking: :D
 
I vote for the slater tool also. even if you use it just a few times now you will almost surely use it in the future. the tool is so versitile, making specialty socket head cap screws,external and internal spline,hex,square, ect. and if its real special slater will custom grind for you.....
 








 
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