Uses
The most common use is to machine straight, flat surfaces, but with ingenuity and some accessories a wide range of work can be done. Other examples of its use are:
- Keyways in the boss of a pulley or gear can be machined without resorting to a dedicated broaching setup.
- Dovetail slides
- Internal splines
- Keyway cutting in blind holes
- Cam drums with toolpaths of the type that in CNC milling terms would require 4- or 5-axis contouring or turn-mill cylindrical interpolation
- It is even possible to obviate wire EDM work in some cases. Starting from a drilled or cored hole, a shaper with a boring-bar type tool can cut internal features that don't lend themselves to milling or boring (such as irregularly shaped holes with tight corners).
Read more about this topic: Shaper