Horn unveils new tool for milling drive shaft splines

Tool manufacturer Horn, represented in the UK by Ringwood-based Horn Cutting Tools Ltd, has introduced a mill with indexable inserts for machining external straight or involute splines on power take-off (PTO) shafts. They are used for transferring power from the engine of a tractor, via a secondary output on the transmission, to attachments that do not have their own drive, such as a mower or trailer.

A stub shaft with a matching internal spline protruding from the tractor’s gearbox connects axially with the PTO shaft’s external spline to effect power transmission to the attachment. Horn’s new, high-performance tool programme is designed to mill splines on a variety of PTO shafts, including those with standard diameters of 1³/₈ and 1³/₄in. Special milling cutters are available for restricted shaft clearances. The M274 tool holders have an internal coolant supply and 10 double-edged S274 carbide inserts are used. Tool diameter is 63mm.