System and method for manufacturing a top mount with bushing

A system for manufacturing a top mount of a vehicle suspension, comprising:

• in a unitary frame assembly
• an assembly die including
• a floating stripper top having a primary opening, a plurality of stud openings, and a plurality of crimp block openings formed therethrough, the primary opening configured to receive a bushing having a thermoplastic outer shell, a rubber core, and a central washer, an upper surface of the floating stripper top configured to receive a top mount body containing a plurality of knurled studs in stud holes of the top mount body in a position adjacent to the primary opening, the stud openings configured to receive the knurled studs, and
• a fixed die base having a plurality of swage assemblies and supporting a bushing rest, the floating stripper top slidably disposed over the swage assemblies and the bushing rest, with each of the swage assemblies disposed in one of the crimp block openings of the floating stripper top, and the bushing rest disposed in the primary opening of the floating stripper top, each of the swage assemblies configured to receive one of the knurled studs, and the bushing rest configured to support and align the bushing within primary opening of the floating stripper top, wherein the bushing rest has an annular recess that is configured to receive a peripheral free edge of the thermoplastic outer shell of the bushing, and wherein each of the swage assemblies has a crimp block and a crimp block cap, the crimp block cap removably affixed to the crimp block with at least one fastener, the crimp block further received by a crimp block opening formed in the fixed die base, and wherein the crimp block cap has a swage opening for receiving one of the knurled studs, the swage opening having a chamfered swaging surface.;
• a press head assembly configured to selectively move to and from a resting position spaced apart from the assembly die and a crimping position in contact with the assembly die, the press head assembly in the crimping position contacting the knurled studs to crimp the top mount body adjacent the knurled studs and affix the knurled studs to the top mount body, and the press head assembly also configured to force the floating stripper top and the top mount body downward onto the bushing supported by the bushing rest, to thereby affix the bushing to the top mount body, wherein both the crimping of the top mount body with the knurled studs and the affixing of the bushing to the top mount body are achieved with a single vertical downward motion of the press head assembly;
• a floating stripper top actuator coupled to the floating stripper top, the floating stripper top actuator configured to cause the floating stripper top to move a predetermined distance in tandem with the press head assembly as the press head assembly moves toward the resting position following a crimping operation, wherein the floating stripper top actuator is a pneumatic stroke cylinder;
• a press head assembly actuator coupled to the press head assembly, the press head assembly actuator configured to cause the press head assembly to selectively move to and from the resting position and the crimping position, wherein the press head assembly actuator is a hydraulic stroke cylinder;
• and
• a controller configured to selectively move the press head assembly, and the floating stripper top;
• and
• a bushing oven disposed adjacent the unitary frame assembly, the bushing oven configured to preheat the bushing to a predetermined temperature prior to the bushing being received by the primary opening of the floating stripper top.

A method for manufacturing a top mount, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a top mount body having a bushing opening and a plurality of stud holes, a plurality of knurled studs, and a bushing having a thermoplastic outer shell, a rubber core, and a central washer;
• inserting the knurled studs in the stud holes of the top mount body;
• and
• substantially simultaneously, applying a pressure to the knurled studs to press the knurled studs into the top mount body to crimp the knurled studs in the stud holes of the top mount body, and to insert the bushing into the bushing opening of the top mount body.