Method of manufacturing a power assisted steering control assembly

An automated assembly and calibration method of a power assisted steering control valve;

• said assembly and calibration method restricted to steps of axial translation and rotation of components of said control valve;
• said steps comprising:
• (a) placing a pinion shaft into a pinion shaft clamping element of an assembly machine;
• (b) placing an input shaft with a loosely inserted torsion bar in an input shaft clamping element of said assembly machine;
• (c) determining and recording a rotation clearance between said pinion shaft and said input shaft;
• (d) rotating said input shaft in opposing directions between rotation limiting stops provided by walls of a socket of said pinion shaft so as to establish a mid-point of rotation of said input shaft relative to said pinion shaft and recording said mid-point of rotation of said input shaft relative said pinion shaft;
• (e) pressing a first end of said torsion bar into an outer end of said input shaft to form an assembly of said torsion bar and input shaft in which said outer end of said input shaft and said first end of said torsion bar are rotationally locked together;
• and
• (f) pressing said assembly of said torsion bar and said input shaft to force a second end of said torsion bar into a central bore of said pinion shaft so as to rotationally lock together said second end of said torsion bar and said pinion shaft.