Method of broaching hardened steel workpieces with diamond-tipped tools

Abstract

A method of broaching a hardened steel workpiece with diamond-tipped tools includes forming a polycrystalline diamond insert and finish-grinding the polycrystalline diamond insert. The polycrystalline diamond insert is attached to an insert holder of a broach bar. A gear blank formed from steel is heat treated, and then an interior portion of the heat treated gear blank is broached with the broach bar. The broaching may occur in a single pass. Some embodiments of the method may further include forming the polycrystalline diamond insert by electrical discharge machining. Furthermore, finish-grinding the polycrystalline diamond insert may include grinding with a diamond grinding wheel. Attaching the polycrystalline diamond insert to the insert holder of the broach bar may include brazing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.