An apparatus for forming a part is provided, which includes a die. The die includes a round orifice, a central mandrel disposed within the round orifice, and a plurality of bridges and a corresponding plurality of portholes between the bridges. The bridges and the portholes extending around the central mandrel. A spacing of the bridges around the mandrel is non-equiangular. The die allows a material to be extruded through the die to form a round, closed geometry tube from the material such that the round, closed geometry tube has non-equiangular welds after emerging from the die.

A tool including a front housing and an expander head ring that is readily attachable and detachable from the front housing. The front housing may be coupled to the tool body, or can be integral with the tool body. The front housing may have a mating end that has one or more locking tabs that are configured to be engaged by the expander head ring. The expander head ring may carry one or more functional elements such as a die set that may be expanded by insertion of an expander extending from the tool such as by manual actuation of the tool. A plurality of expander head rings, each with a different size die set, can be alternatively attached to the front housing, depending on the desired extent of expanding of the pipe or the like with the tool.

A tool including a front housing and an expander head ring that is readily attachable and detachable from the front housing. The front housing may be coupled to the tool body, or can be integral with the tool body. The front housing may have a mating end that has one or more locking tabs that are configured to be engaged by the expander head ring. The expander head ring may carry one or more functional elements such as a die set that may be expanded by insertion of an expander extending from the tool such as by manual actuation of the tool. A plurality of expander head rings, each with a different size die set, can be alternatively attached to the front housing, depending on the desired extent of expanding of the pipe or the like with the tool.

A dummy block for a metal extrusion press includes: a generally cylindrical base having a forward surface and an outwardly extending circumferential flange; an expandable collar coupled to the base, the collar having an inwardly extending circumferential rib abutting the circumferential flange; a plunger disc seated against the forward surface of the base and accommodated by the collar, and a plunger shaft extending through the plunger disc and coupled to the base.

A dummy block for a metal extrusion press includes: a generally cylindrical base having a forward surface and an outwardly extending circumferential flange; an expandable collar coupled to the base, the collar having an inwardly extending circumferential rib abutting the circumferential flange; a plunger disc seated against the forward surface of the base and accommodated by the collar, and a plunger shaft extending through the plunger disc and coupled to the base.

A hollow preform impact extruded from a metal billet to produce a progressing wall at a transition wall thickness. An axially forward portion of the progressing wall is ironed by extrusion past an extrusion point to form a sidewall portion of a lesser thickness. Extruding is stopped while some of the billet remains to form the closed bottom end. The preform has a bottom portion, a sidewall portion and a transition wall portion extending between the bottom portion and the sidewall portion. The transition wall portion is thicker than the sidewall portion and can be formed into at least part of the rim of an expansion shaped container. An impact extrusion punch has a central axis, an axially forward, impact surface for impacting metal to be extruded, a transition region for directing material displaced by the impact surface and a rear extrusion point for ironing material extruded past the transition region.

A hollow preform impact extruded from a metal billet to produce a progressing wall at a transition wall thickness. An axially forward portion of the progressing wall is ironed by extrusion past an extrusion point to form a sidewall portion of a lesser thickness. Extruding is stopped while some of the billet remains to form the closed bottom end. The preform has a bottom portion, a sidewall portion and a transition wall portion extending between the bottom portion and the sidewall portion. The transition wall portion is thicker than the sidewall portion and can be formed into at least part of the rim of an expansion shaped container. An impact extrusion punch has a central axis, an axially forward, impact surface for impacting metal to be extruded, a transition region for directing material displaced by the impact surface and a rear extrusion point for ironing material extruded past the transition region.

A tool including a front housing and an expander head ring that is readily attachable and detachable from the front housing. The front housing may be coupled to the tool body, or can be integral with the tool body. The front housing may have a mating end that has one or more locking tabs that are configured to be engaged by the expander head ring. The expander head ring may carry one or more functional elements such as a die set that may be expanded by insertion of an expander extending from the tool such as by manual actuation of the tool. A plurality of expander head rings, each with a different size die set, can be alternatively attached to the front housing, depending on the desired extent of expanding of the pipe or the like with the tool.

A tool including a front housing and an expander head ring that is readily attachable and detachable from the front housing. The front housing may be coupled to the tool body, or can be integral with the tool body. The front housing may have a mating end that has one or more locking tabs that are configured to be engaged by the expander head ring. The expander head ring may carry one or more functional elements such as a die set that may be expanded by insertion of an expander extending from the tool such as by manual actuation of the tool. A plurality of expander head rings, each with a different size die set, can be alternatively attached to the front housing, depending on the desired extent of expanding of the pipe or the like with the tool.

Shear-assisted extrusion assemblies are provided. The assemblies can include a billet containing assembly containing a billet comprising a billet outer material and a billet inner material in at least one cross-section; a tool operably engaged with the billet; an extrudate receiving channel configured to receive extrudate from the tool, wherein the extrudate comprises extruded outer material and extruded inner material in at least one cross-section, the extruded outer material being the same material as the billet outer material, and the extruded inner material being the same as the billet inner material. Methods for producing multi-material shear-assisted extrudate are also provided.