How to cut akeywayon a milling machine

This article was reviewed by Cory Schifter. Cory Schifter is a Jeweler, Certified Jewelry Appraiser, and the Owner of Casale Jewelers in Dongan Hills, Staten Island, New York. Casale Jewelers is known for its selection of fine jewelry, designer brands, engagement rings, certified diamonds, custom-made jewelry, and watches. Cory has over 10 years in the jewelry industry and is a certified jewelry appraiser. Cory was featured on NY1 News “Got it Made in New York” for Casale Jewelers’ custom design business and Casale Jewelers was recognized by American Express and Facebook in 2012 as one of the top five small businesses in the nation. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 289,263 times.

One problem with broaching is the upfront cost of the broaches. They can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars and will require regular maintenance. Another issue is time. If a custom broach isn’t readily available, it can take weeks to months to manufacture the broach.

Much like shaping, milling allows users to cut partial length, tapered, or straight keyways. Milling is popular for cutting external shaft keyways. However, milling inside diameter keyways on hubs isn’t common because the other side of the coupling gets in the way (with traditional straight milling techniques). But if needed, an internal hub keyway could be milled with a special 90º angular milling head.

Keyway cutting with wire EDM (electric discharge machining) is generally used for small quantity runs that require precision or other specific cutting options. Tool and die builders use wire EDM to remove material through a method that might be described as “shock” or “evaporation.” In this method, a spooling copper wire is brought up close to cut a target with electrical sparks (but doesn’t directly touch the component).

Keyway cutting toolfor Lathe

In order to cut blind keyways, shapers require users to pre-cut a “relief” at the end of the soon-to-be cut keyway. The relief allows metal chips to break. They can be formed by cutting an internal groove on the inside diameter for hubs or by pre-drilling a hole.

Cuttinginternalkeywaymilling machine

If you’re looking for speed, wire EDM is probably not your best keyway cutting option. A standard machine might operate at 12 square inches per hour. As an example, if your part is 6” thick, a wire EDM machine will cut 2” deep per hour. However, one redeeming factor to this is that wire EDM machines can run without an active operator. With that said, some applications best suited for wire EDM include: prototype parts, rush orders, and one-off requests.

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Alternative tools:Handheld wood chisel or graver: Slow but makes angle adjustments easier. Good for experimenting.CNC Machine: A computer-controlled device for extremely complex designs.

Shaping is a good option for cutting blind keyways. “Blind” refers to keyways that don’t go through the entire length of the part. Some of the above keyway cutting options, such as broaching and wire EDM, aren’t designed to handle blind keyways.

Portablekeywaycutter

Additional bit shapes:[6] X Research source Pear & Oval: for rounding edges and carving bumpsTaper: to reach crevices and make concave cutsBall: to hollow out an area or create U-shaped gouges

3374 Precision Drive Rockford, IL 61109 tel: 815-873-7602 fax: 815-637-1496 email: dsosnowski@sparepartsolutions.com or sales@hpproc.com

We hope this guide has given you a clearer understanding of your keyway cutting options. If you’re ready to start keyway cutting, or looking for a way to reduce cycle time and manufacturing cost on your current keyway cutting process, contact us. During our conversation we can discuss which keyway cutting option is best for your application.

Keyway cutting with a keyseater machine (or internal keyway slotting machine) removes material through a series of tooth cutting strokes. Some keyseaters only feature a single tooth cutter, while other machines (like the Davis Keyseater) use a multiple tooth cutter to achieve cutting speeds as fast as broaching.

Keyway cutting with a broaching machine is similar to keyseating. However, it’s more common for a broaching machine to feature a cutter with multiple teeth. Again, the cutter on the broaching machine is pushed through a hub and removes more material with each tooth the further it advances. Due to the multiple teeth, more material can be removed faster. Keyway broaching can usually cut a keyway in 1-3 strokes.

How to cut akeywayby hand

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Here’s how it works: The cutter on the keyseater slowly advances outward with each consecutive cut. This subtle movement allows each stroke to remove a little bit more material. The process repeats until the cut is deep enough to meet the specifications of the coupling hub print drawing.

When manufacturers want to attach a gear, pulley hub, or coupling to the shafts of driving equipment, they generally use a keyway locking method. With this method, a key blocks shaft rotation and helps transfer torque. For this to work, different types of keyway cutting options are used to make a keyway in the shaft and coupling hub. This article will examine the most popular keyway cutting technologies used today.

Internalkeyway cutting tool

As with some keyseaters, shaping uses a single tooth cutting tool. Unlike keyseaters, shapers aren’t guided down through the cut on a fixed post. As a result, shaper cuts can’t achieve the same level of accuracy as keyseater cuts due to unguided deflection. This increases the need for proper tolerance inspection.

One important characteristic to note is that broach cutting teeth, like other cutting tools, need to be sharpened when dulled. For more information on this, read our article on broach sharpening. Another characteristic is that broaching machines can be aligned horizontally or vertically to push or pull a broach through a part.

To engrave metal, start by cleaning the surface with a damp cloth, then letting it dry completely. Next, trace a design onto the metal before securing it to your work surface with a clamp or vise. Then, apply the tip of an engraving tool or chisel to the surface of the metal on an angle and carefully chip away pieces of the metal. Try to begin on a straight line for your first attempt, keeping your tool at the same angle throughout the engraving. Once you’ve finished the straight portion, move on to more complex lines and shapes. To learn how to engrave on wood, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

Bestkeyway cutting tool

Like shaping, quality is an important factor to consider when milling keyways (due to lack of unguided cuts). Tolerances, such as corner radius quality, need special attention in order to ensure correct spec. Otherwise, problems could arise such as an imbalance to the power transmission system or a key that doesn’t fit.

Alternative tools:Hammer and chisel: Cheap but slow, requires two hands.Dremel with carbide tungsten drill bit: Difficult to control. Use only if you happen to have one, on simple projects.Craft knife or compass point: Difficult to control, only works on soft metals.

The primary benefit of keyseating is that it offers great flexibility for large and specialty keyways. Custom sized tooth cutters are easy to obtain, and can also be quickly modified at an onsite tool room to meet unique specifications. However, depending on the type of your machine and cutting tool, keyseating may require a longer cycle time than traditional broaching. To get an idea of cycle time, view our chart that illustrates keyseater cutting times for various keyways and materials.

Artists and printers have engraved metal or wood for centuries, and there are volumes written on this art. Today, new laser cutters and other machines cut designs into plastics, gemstones, and other challenging materials to work with. Despite all of these rich, varied uses, you can start engraving yourself with only a few tools.