Broach Also Stamps Parts Inside Machine

The new ‘Made in USA’ broach from Polygon Solutions Inc. (Fort Myers, FL)  is a rotary broach with multiple text letters that allows machinists to stamp or mark their part in a lathe or milling machine without removing the part from the machine. This rotary broaching system is usually used for making hexagon or square holes in precision machined products.

The new ‘Made in USA’ broach had its official debut at IMTS 2014. The company first introduced an innovative and award winning adjustment free Rotary Broach Tool Holder in 2010, ideal for CNC machines because of maintenance-free sealed bearings and a new pressure relief system.

Another series of letter broaches was announced in 2012 that have letters or numbers and are inserted into a broach holder to mark parts. The different identifying marks improve quality to distinguish between mixed lots of parts made in the same machines.

A demonstration of the ‘Made in USA’ rotary broach.

The ‘Made in USA’ broach was first tested during the annual Manufacturing Day tour in 2013. Lee Virtual School students in Fort Myers, FL, were taught about product development and how the new rotary broach ‘wobbles’ or displaces material to create the text. The company showcases new products to students in hopes of promoting the desire for STEM education in a new generation of engineers and machinists.

“Made in America is one of the strongest selling points we have, even for our U.S. customers,” says Matt Chambers of Marine Concepts (Cape Coral, FL). “The quality of the overseas product has been, from the start, an inferior product. As the cost of quality is more than ever being taken into account, not only are we sought after for quality but our total cost for our customer is less.” Marine Concepts and Polygon Solutions actively work together as members of the Florida’s Southwest Regional Manufacturing Association (SRMA).

The new broach is not limited to the ‘Made in USA’ mark. The company sells its tools worldwide and is also developing the system to mark logos, slogans and symbols. “We’ve had a few challenges to get it to work perfectly,” says Peter Bagwell, a product engineer at Polygon. “But we keep working with our customers and our partners to get it right. Customers reshoring their parts want to show they are now made in the United States.”

Partners include the Precision Machined Product Association and National Tooling & Machining Association. Bagwell adds, “We’ve learned from our customers that our rotary broach holder is very easy to set up in the machine and very easy to use for making small hexagon and square holes. We hope the new ‘Made in USA’ broach helps them achieve an even higher level of satisfaction in both their parts and ours.”

Polygon Solutions Inc., 16770 Link Court Suite 106, Fort Myers, FL 33912, 239-628-4800, Fax: 239-628-4801, www.polygonsolutions.com.