Self-aligning non-pinching hydroforming dies

A pair of hydroforming dies having opposed mating surfaces and opposed die cavity forming surfaces surrounded by the respective mating surfaces, said die cavity forming surfaces forming a hydroforming die cavity when said dies are pressed together at said mating surfaces, each of said dies having alternately arranged fingers and slots wherein the fingers on one of said dies are adapted to be closely received in and guided by the slots in the other of said dies to thereby precisely guide said dies into alignment as said dies are brought together, the fingers and slots on each said die located on opposite sides of the die cavity forming surface on the respective die and being spaced along and extending transversely to and joining with peripheral portions of the die cavity forming surface on the respective die, said fingers and slots on each said die on one of said opposite sides being staggered with respect to the fingers and slots on the other of said opposite sides, said fingers on each said die where they extend to the die cavity forming surface on the respective die having an angled edge surface, and the edge surfaces of the fingers on the opposite sides of the die cavity surfaces on the respective dies forming acute angles there between so that as said dies are brought together about a tubular part positioned between the edge surfaces of the fingers on the respective dies the finger edge surfaces on the respective dies cooperate to produce a funneling wedging scissoring action on opposite sides of the part forcing the part toward the respective die cavity surfaces while gradually mechanically conforming the part as need be to the die cavity surfaces to prevent pinching of the part between said mating surfaces when the dies are pressed together.