Method for forming a toothed article

A method for fabricating an article, the method comprising:

• providing a first workpiece component formed of a first steel material;
• forging the first workpiece component to form a first forged workpiece component having a plurality of bevel gear teeth that are disposed about an axis;
• forming a second workpiece component that is formed of a second steel material that is different from the first steel material, the second workpiece component having a set of locating features;
• and
• joining the second workpiece component to the first forged workpiece component to form a workpiece via friction welding, the workpiece being a bevel gear having a frusto-conical surface that is defined by a back cone of a predetermined cone angle and which intersects the bevel gear teeth, the frusto-conical surface diverging inwardly toward the axis with increasing distance along the axis from the bevel gear teeth;
• wherein the first workpiece component has a first side and a second side, wherein the bevel gear teeth are disposed on the first side of the first workpiece component, wherein a through-bore is formed through the first workpiece component along the axis, wherein the second side of the first workpiece component is formed perpendicular to the axis and intersects the frusto-conical surface of the workpiece that is defined by the back cone such that the frusto-conical surface is partly formed by the first forged workpiece component and partly formed by the second workpiece component.