US 10,843,246 B2 · Method of manufacturing a tube and a machine for use therein

Abstract

A method is used to manufacture a drawn tube having a hollow low interior for housing an axle shaft. The method includes the steps of placing a billet into a first die assembly and pressing the billet into the first die to producing a pre-formed billet. The method also includes the steps of moving the pre-formed billet from the first die assembly to a second die assembly and pressing the pre-formed billet into the second die assembly to produce an extruded tube. The method further includes the steps of moving the extruded tube from the second die assembly to a third die assembly and pressing the extruded tube into the third die assembly to further elongate the extruded tube and decrease the thickness of the wall of the extruded tube to of from about 3 to about 18 millimeters to produce the drawn tube having the yield strength of at least 750 MPa.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a drawn tube having a hollow interior for housing an axle shaft that transmits rotational motion from a prime mover to a wheel of a vehicle, with the drawn tube having a wall that has a thickness of from 3 to 18 millimeters and the drawn tube has a yield strength of at least 750 MPa, said method comprising the steps of:

placing a billet into a cavity of a first die assembly;
pressing the billet into the cavity of the first die assembly to form a bore at one end of the billet thereby producing a pre-formed billet;
moving the pre-formed billet from the cavity of the first die assembly to a cavity of a second die assembly;
pressing the pre-formed billet into the cavity of the second die assembly to elongate the pre-formed billet and form a hollow interior therein thereby producing an extruded tube;
moving the extruded tube from the cavity of the second die assembly to a cavity of a third die assembly;
and
pressing the extruded tube into the cavity of the third die assembly to further elongate the extruded tube and decrease a thickness of a wall of the extruded tube to thereby produce the drawn tube having the wall that has the thickness of from 3 to 18 millimeters and the yield strength of at least 750 MPa.

4 more elements

A method of manufacturing a tube having a hollow interior for housing an axle shaft that transmits rotational motion from a prime mover to a wheel of a vehicle, with the tube having a wall that has a thickness of from 3 to 18 millimeters and the tube has a yield strength of at least 750 MPa, said method comprising the steps of:

placing a billet into a cavity of a first die assembly;
placing a first pre-formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof into a cavity of a second die assembly;
forming the billet within the cavity of the first die assembly to produce a second pre-formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof;
extruding the first pre-formed billet within the cavity of the second die assembly to produce an extruded tube having the hollow interior;
and
pressing the extruded tube into a cavity of a third die assembly to further elongate the extruded tube and decrease a thickness of a wall of the extruded tube to thereby produce the drawn tube having the wall that has the thickness of from 3 to 18 millimeters and the yield strength of at least 750 MPa.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of manufacturing a tube and a machine for use therein

Life of this patent

Method of manufacturing a tube and a machine for use therein

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20