A broaching machine cuts a profile in a single straight stroke: a multi-tooth tool, the broach, is pulled through a bore or along the workpiece, producing internal gears, splines and keyways. If you want to sell a used broaching machine, we buy it. That covers vertical and horizontal internal broaching machines, external and chain broaching machines, and helical and tubular broaching machines. Send us make, type, pull force, stroke, build year, control and a few photos, and you get a first estimate. We organise dismantling and transport; on a direct purchase, payment is made by bank transfer before pickup. Keyway slotting and pulling machines, which marketplaces list in the same category, are assessed too.
What a broaching machine does
A broaching machine cuts a profile in a single straight stroke. A multi-tooth tool, the broach, is pulled through an existing bore (internal broaching) or guided along the workpiece (external or surface broaching). The infeed is built into the staggering of the broach teeth, so no separate feed movement is needed. In gear making, broaching is the route to internal gears, splines and keyways, and with special methods also to helical and external gears. For where the process sits in gear production, see How gears are made and Serrations explained.
The tool defines the shape: the cross-section of the broach is reproduced in the workpiece. That suits complex profiles in large quantities; the technical literature names the automotive and mechanical engineering industries as typical users. The limit is geometry. Internal broaching needs a through bore, and broaching of blind holes is rarely used; for blind holes the literature names gear shaping. For internal gears of smaller diameters, one gear maker describes broaching with a profile broach as considerably faster than shaping. The serration standard DIN 5481 shows the split of work: the hub is usually made by broaching or shaping, the shaft by rolling, profile milling or hobbing.
| Broaching method | Machine design | Result in gear making |
|---|---|---|
| Internal profile broaching | Internal broaching machine, mostly vertical | Internal gears, splined hubs and shafts, ring gears, keyways |
| Helical broaching | Helical broaching machine with two controlled axes, superimposed rotation | Helical gears, for example for planetary gearboxes |
| Tubular or pot broaching | Derived from internal broaching machines, usually two-cylinder, tool as a hollow cylinder with internal cutting edges | Closed external profiles such as externally toothed gears |
| External profile broaching | External broaching machine, mostly horizontal | External profiles, for example steering racks |
| Chain broaching | Chain broaching machine, workpieces pass a fixed tool continuously | External machining in continuous flow |
| Hard broaching | Dry machining is usual, electromechanical drives suit it | Calibrating hardened gears with a carbide tool |
Hard broaching concerns workpieces with a hardness above 50 to 60 HRC. A gear maker describes it as a calibration process that removes profile errors from hardening.
Keyways and internal profiles: broaching, slotting or pulling
Besides gears, broaching machines produce keyways and internal profiles; the literature names hub keyways, splined hubs, internal hexagons and other polygon profiles as typical results. Slotting and pulling are related processes. According to GROB, pulling is the reverse of slotting: the tool pulls instead of pushing, and it gives better precision and surfaces. Both take longer than broaching but use cheaper tools and suit smaller quantities. Keyway slotting and pulling machines sit in the same marketplace category as broaching machines.
Designs, pull force and stroke
The key figures of a broaching machine are pull force (also broaching force), stroke, broaching speed and return speed. Listings add tool length, maximum workpiece diameter, number of broaching stations and weight. Cutting speed is typically around 30 m/min according to the literature, up to 120 m/min with special measures. One dealer’s programme of used vertical internal broaching machines runs from 2 to 100 tonnes of pull force, for example 2 tonnes with 1,000 mm stroke, 6.3 tonnes with 630 mm, a 25-tonne helical machine with 1,600 mm and 40 tonnes with three stations and 2,200 mm stroke.
Vertical machines have advantages: the tool hangs and is not bent, the achievable accuracy is higher, and chips fall away more easily. Machines of two-cylinder design need a special foundation; lift-table machines do not. On vertical internal machines there are two basic principles. In the classic design with a moving tool, the workpiece lies on a fixed table, an end holder takes the tool at the top, a shank holder grips it at the bottom and pulls it through the bore, often driven by two hydraulic cylinders. On lift-table machines the workpiece moves and the tool stays in position. According to the literature, lift-table machines have a lower overall height and allow shorter cycle times because several components move at the same time; as only the table does the working movement, vibration falls.
Hydraulic drives usually work at 80 to 100 bar and are common on vertical machines up to roughly 2.5 m of broaching length. Electromechanical drives spread steadily between 2000 and 2015, according to the literature.
The type designation follows a letter scheme that many makers still use:
| Position | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | R | Broaching machine (Räummaschine) |
| 2 | A, I, K | External, internal, continuous (chain broaching machine) |
| 3 | S, W | Vertical, horizontal |
| 4 | A, AT, F, H, K, M, T, X, Z | Approach-and-retract table, approach-and-retract indexing table, fixed table, lift table, tilting table, mechanical drive, indexing table, special design, two-cylinder design |
| then | Number sequence | Broaching force, stroke in mm, size in mm (width of the clamping plate or tool slide) |
| Example | RISH 16 × 2000 × 400 | Vertical internal broaching machine with lift table, 160 kN broaching force, 2,000 mm stroke, 400 mm clamping plate width |
Designations such as “RISH 6.3x1000” (Ekin) and “RISZ 10x1000x400” (Arthur Klink) in listings follow this pattern. The size standards DIN 55141 to 55145 were withdrawn in 2003, but makers still follow them, according to the literature, so that existing broaches fit new machines. Acceptance conditions for broaching machines are described in DIN 8665 to 8668.
Makers on the market
Maker data on broaching machines is thin; most figures come from listings. The examples below are the advertisers’ statements, not manufacturer data, and show which key figures are usual. For your machine, the nameplate and your documents count.
| Name in the listing | Maker | Design according to the listing | Figures according to the listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| RS6/1000 | Rausch | Vertical internal broaching machine | Pull force 60 kN (80 kN), broaching speed 4 m/min, return 8 m/min, max. stroke 1,000 mm, about 750 kg, built 2000 |
| RISH 6.3x1000 | Ekin | Internal broaching machine, hydraulic | 6.3 t or 63 kN, max. travel 1,000 mm, return 24 m/min, about 3,500 kg, built 2000 |
| RISZ 10x1000x400 | Arthur Klink | Vertical internal broaching machine | Max. pull force 10 t, max. stroke 1,000 mm, max. cutting speed 10.9 m/min, 3 broaching stations, built 1993 |
| RH 16-50 (16 x 1500) | Arthur Klink | Hydraulic internal broaching machine | Pull force 16,000 kg, broaching stroke 1,500 mm, built 1966 |
Marketplaces list Klink, Karl Klink and Arthur Klink as separate maker names, alongside Forst, Rausch, Frömag, Ekin, Varinelli, Nachi and Ohio Broach. Karl Klink states on its website the SMARTLine and KOMPAKTLine series (the latter for soft broaching) and customer-specific solutions, and supplies, by its own statement, the automotive industry and its suppliers, agricultural machinery and rail technology.
What decides the value of a broaching machine
| Factor | Why it moves the value | Information or proof |
|---|---|---|
| Pull force and stroke | They decide which profiles, workpiece lengths and broaches the machine can run | Nameplate, type designation |
| Design and table type | Vertical, horizontal, lift table or two-cylinder: vertical machines are more accurate and easy to automate, two-cylinder machines need a special foundation | Type designation, photos |
| Drive | Hydraulic: inexpensive, high acceleration, lower rigidity. Electromechanical: rigid, energy efficient, suited to dry machining | Type of drive, condition of pump, cylinders, gearbox |
| Control | CNC connects more easily to electromechanical drives; hydraulic drives are controlled by servo or proportional valves | Control type, wiring diagrams |
| Guides, cylinders, tool holders | Rigidity and low-wear guides decide accuracy and vibration; end and shank holders must grip the tool securely | Photos, maintenance records |
| Broaches and holders | Broaches are costly and slow to make; matching tools make the machine more usable | Tool list with profile and condition |
| Automation | Because cycle times are short, broaching machines often have automatic loading and unloading | Photos, description of the loader |
| Acceptance and accuracy | Acceptance conditions are described in DIN 8665 to 8668 | Acceptance or test report, if available |
| Weight and foundation | Listings for small vertical internal machines show about 750 to 3,500 kg; two-cylinder machines need a foundation | Dimensions, weight, foundation plan |
What we need from you
- Nameplate photo: make, type, serial number, build year
- Pull force, stroke, design (internal or external, vertical or horizontal, table type)
- Drive, control, operating hours
- A list of broaches and holders with profile and condition
- Photos of the whole machine, table and tool holder, control panel and installation site
How a sale works
- Send the data and photos.
- First estimate after receiving the basic data.
- The offer usually follows 24–48 hours on working days after we have all the details. We buy your machine; on request we also sell it through our buyer network. Sale through our buyer network: commission stated upfront; you are paid before pickup. An urgent on-site visit can take place, usually within 48 to 72 hours on working days.
- On a direct purchase, payment is made by bank transfer before pickup.
- We organise dismantling and transport, also for vertical machines with a foundation. Whether those costs are included is stated in the offer upfront.
For a single machine the whole process usually takes 7 to 15 working days on a direct purchase. See also How it works.
What we do not buy
- Broaches and other tools without a machine
- Finished gears, hubs and gearbox parts
- Gear pumps
- Woodworking and hobby machines
Broaching machines are part of the wider gear machine range described in Sell gear cutting machines. Related pages: gear hobbing machines, gear shaping machines, gear grinding machines. For the value factors across gear machines see What is my gear machine worth?.