Posted by Austin B on | Comments Off on Broaching Alternatives – Internal Keyway Machining Without Broaching

Looking for a Broaching Alternative? Keyseating Offers Precision Without the Cost

Broaching is a powerful method—but it’s not always practical. If you’re cutting internal keyways in hardened steel, dealing with short runs, or working on blind-hole parts, you’ve probably hit its limits.

That’s where keyseating comes in. At Keyseaters.com, we help shops and manufacturers across the U.S. replace or supplement broaching with precise vertical keyway machining—ideal for complex parts, hard materials, and low to medium production volumes.

Keyway Broaching for Food Augers

Why Broaching Falls Short in Modern Manufacturing

While broaching has its place, it comes with serious drawbacks:

  • High tooling cost – custom broach tools are expensive

  • Poor fit for small batches – not economical unless you’re running hundreds or thousands

  • Doesn’t work with blind holes – broaching requires a thru-hole design

  • Limited on hard materials – struggles with tool steels, Inconel, and similar alloys

  • Longer lead times – due to setup, tooling, and backlog

Typical Use Cases Where Keyseating Wins

  • Internal keyways in blind bores

  • Parts made of 17-4 stainless or tool steels

  • Small batch jobs or prototype runs

  • Replacement parts with no broaching tool on hand

  • Custom or odd-sized keyway profiles

Conveyor Pulley

Serving Manufacturers Across the U.S.

We’ve helped dozens of machine shops and OEMs switch from broaching to keyseating for:

  • Gears, sprockets, pulleys

  • Splined shafts

  • Couplings and hubs

  • Military/aerospace parts

  • Oilfield equipment

  • Custom machinery

Industries We Serve

We provide keyway machining services for:

Aerospace

High-precision keyseating for aerospace parts and components.

Automotive

Machines capable of creating custom keyways for automotive transmission and engine parts.

Construction

Heavy-duty keyseating equipment suitable for demanding environments.

Energy & Utility

Machines for keyway cutting in power generation and utility equipment.

Nationwide Service with Fast Turnarounds

  1. We work with machine shops, OEMs, and production managers across the U.S. offering:

    • Quick quoting (24h turnaround)

    • Rapid turnaround for small runs

    • Blind shipment capability for white-label or contract machining

    • Engineering feedback available on request

Talk to Us Before You Build Another Broach Tool

Send us your drawing—we’ll review it and let you know if keyseating is a better fit. We respond within 1 business day.

Request a Quote