Steering column manufacturing machine and method of manufacturing a steering column

A steering column assembly comprising:

• an outer jacket,
• an inner jacket telescopingly disposed within said outer jacket for movement along a longitudinal axis between an extended position and a retracted position, with a cavity defined between said inner and outer jackets,
• a bushing radially disposed about said inner jacket within said cavity between said inner and outer jackets,
• said bushing including at least one tab engaging said inner jacket to interconnect said bushing to said inner jacket and including at least one radially projecting pad engaging said outer jacket to frictionally interconnect said bushing to said outer jacket for interlocking said inner and outer jackets and preventing axial movement between said inner and outer jackets, with said at least one radially projecting pad being melted after positioning between said inner and outer jackets to thermally size said bushing to create a predetermined biasing axial friction force between said inner and outer jackets to uniformly load said inner and outer jackets during multiple telescoping movements of the steering column assembly between the extended position and the retracted position.