Systems and methods for improving backward flow forming of shafts
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsAgnieszka Wusatowska-Sarnek, John Palitsch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for backward flow forming a material may comprise a mandrel having a headstock at a proximate end of the mandrel, the mandrel configured to rotate about an axis, a plurality of rollers disposed radially outward of the mandrel configured to exert force on the material to form a work piece at a plastic deformation zone, wherein the work piece flows from the plastic deformation zone between the plurality of rollers and the mandrel toward a distal end of the mandrel, and a catcher, coaxial to the mandrel, and removably coupled to the work piece at a traveling end of the work piece.
Claims6
A method, comprising:
- mounting a material in an apparatus for backward flow forming;
- performing a backward flow forming step by operation of the apparatus, the backward flow forming step comprising:
- applying a load to a plurality of rollers forming a plastic deformation zone in the material between the plurality of rollers and a mandrel, the mandrel defining a rotational axis;
- advancing the plurality of rollers toward a headstock at a proximate end of the mandrel forming a work piece from the material, wherein the work piece flows from the plastic deformation zone between the plurality of rollers and the mandrel toward a distal end of the mandrel;
- machining a coupling feature in the work piece proximate a traveling end of the work piece;
- coupling the coupling feature of the work piece to a catcher at the traveling end of the work piece;
- and
- oscillating the catcher rotationally with respect to the rotational axis and tending thereby to cause the traveling end of the work piece to deflect relative to the rotational axis;
- and
- after the backward flow forming step, excising and discarding the coupling feature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.