Q: I am looking to get some socket head cap screw made – what is the difference between forging, broaching, or EDM’ing the sockets?
A. Broaching is a machining process that uses a toothed tool (broach) to remove material. Linear and Rotary are the main types of broaching. EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) is a thermal material removal process where the material is removed by vaporizing or localized melting of small areas at the surface of the work piece. This process removed material by repetitive electric sparks between the tool and the part. Forging compresses the metal into the desired shape by using a die and a hammer.