Methods of forming a splined shaft

Abstract

A method for forming splines on a metallic tube by providing a metallic tube having a known hardness corresponding to T4 temper (10); heating the metallic tube to a temperature sufficient to remove the T4 temper (14); quenching the metallic tube (20); forming splines on the metallic tube (30); and artificially aging the metallic tube, (32) where preferably the metallic tube is a 6000 series aluminum alloy; alternately, (a) forming a metallic tube; (b) solution heat treating said metallic tube (c) controlled time and/or temperature exposure conditions of said metallic tube (d) forming splines on said metallic tube before said metallic tube has aged sufficiently to develop properties corresponding to a T4 temper; where preferably, the splines are created within 16 hours of forming said metallic tubes, and (e) artificially aging said metallic tubes. In a preferred embodiment, the metallic tube is a 6000 series aluminum alloy.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.