What Are the Benefits of Broaching In-House?

Cut costs, reduce delays, and take full control of your production process

Sending parts out for broaching adds risk, delays, and extra cost to your operation. Shops that bring broaching in-house don’t just save time. They improve quality control, increase margins, and become more competitive. Shops that make the switch consistently see fewer missed deadlines, improved part consistency, and faster quoting.

Here are the key reasons to stop outsourcing and start broaching in-house.

1. Eliminate Outside Lead Times

When you outsource broaching, your entire workflow depends on another shop’s schedule. If their backlog grows, so does your delivery time. If a part gets rejected, you’re stuck waiting again.

In-house broaching puts you back in control. You can complete the operation in the same setup as turning or milling, with no need to transfer parts between vendors or load out expensive pallets just to cut one feature.

2. Reduce Total Cost Per Part

The per-piece cost of subcontracted broaching adds up fast. Shops often pay $10 to $50 per part for a single keyway, spline, or custom form, not including freight or handling.

When you broach in-house, you cut that cost dramatically. Once your toolholder and insert are set up, the actual tool cost per part is often under $1. With insertable tools, you can regrind or index to maximize life and avoid replacement costs.

3. Improve Quality and Consistency

Broaching in-house means you’re not relying on someone else’s tooling, fixturing, or inspection process. You control the machine, the stroke, the depth, and the finish.

Many shops improve fitment rates and reduce QA issues simply by moving from subcontracted broaching to CNC-controlled internal broaching on their own equipment. Once the cycle is dialed in, the process is repeatable and dependable.

4. Increase Flexibility and Responsiveness

Need to adjust a feature mid-run? Want to make a quick prototype with a keyway? In-house broaching lets you do that immediately.

Outsourcing forces you to commit to a production batch and wait for results. With CNC broaching tools, you can run five parts, check your fit, and be confident you’re on track without adding days to the schedule.

5. Simplify Quoting and Scheduling

Quoting is faster when you’re not waiting on a third-party broaching vendor to provide pricing or confirm capacity. By handling broaching internally, you can quote jobs with confidence, knowing exactly what the operation will cost and how long it will take.

It also gives your team tighter control over production schedules. When broaching is kept in-house, there’s no need to build in buffer time for shipping, subcontract turnaround, or unexpected delays. You can adjust priorities on the fly, accommodate rush jobs more easily, and avoid the risk of your timeline being tied to someone else’s backlog.

For shops managing multiple deadlines or trying to reduce lead time across the board, this flexibility makes a measurable impact.

Ready to Bring It In-House?

If you’re still sending parts out for broaching, you’re likely leaving margin and time on the table. In-house CNC broaching simplifies the process, reduces cost per part, and gives you more control over your workflow.

We can help you choose the right holder, insert, and setup for your parts. Contact us to get started with in-house broaching the right way.