A method is used to manufacture an article using a machine having a fixed base and a press structure movable toward the fixed base. The machine also includes a die assembly and a container both coupled to the fixed base. The machine further includes a mandrel assembly comprising a rotatable platform coupled to the press structure and having a first platform mandrel aligned with the die assembly and a second platform mandrel aligned with the container. The method includes the steps of placing a first starting component into the die assembly, pressing the first starting component to form the article, moving the second platform mandrel into the container simultaneously with the step of pressing the first starting component, and rotating the rotatable platform to align the second platform mandrel with the die assembly and to align the first platform mandrel with the container.

A method is used to manufacture a tube having a hollow interior for housing an axle shaft. The tube is formed in a single machine having a fixed base and a single press structure movable toward the fixed base. The single machine includes first and second die assemblies coupled to the fixed base and first and second mandrels coupled to the single press structure. The method includes the steps of placing a billet into the first die assembly, pressing the billet into the first die assembly with the first mandrel to producing a pre-formed billet, and moving the pre-formed billet from the first die assembly to the second die assembly. THE method further includes the steps of pressing the pre-formed billet into the second die assembly with the second mandrel to elongate the pre-formed billet and form a hollow interior therein to produce an extruded tube.

A method is used to manufacture a tube having a hollow interior for housing an axle shaft. The tube is formed in a single machine having a fixed base and a single press structure movable toward the fixed base. The single machine includes first and second die assemblies coupled to the fixed base and first and second mandrels coupled to the single press structure. The method includes the steps of placing a billet into the first die assembly, pressing the billet into the first die assembly with the first mandrel to producing a pre-formed billet, and moving the pre-formed billet from the first die assembly to the second die assembly. THE method further includes the steps of pressing the pre-formed billet into the second die assembly with the second mandrel to elongate the pre-formed billet and form a hollow interior therein to produce an extruded tube.

A method is used to manufacture a drawn tube having a hollow low interior for housing an axle shaft. The method includes the steps of placing a billet into a first die assembly and pressing the billet into the first die to producing a pre-formed billet. The method also includes the steps of moving the pre-formed billet from the first die assembly to a second die assembly and pressing the pre-formed billet into the second die assembly to produce an extruded tube. The method further includes the steps of moving the extruded tube from the second die assembly to a third die assembly and pressing the extruded tube into the third die assembly to further elongate the extruded tube and decrease the thickness of the wall of the extruded tube to of from about 3 to about 18 millimeters to produce the drawn tube having the yield strength of at least 750 MPa.

A method is used to manufacture a drawn tube having a hollow low interior for housing an axle shaft. The method includes the steps of placing a billet into a first die assembly and pressing the billet into the first die to producing a pre-formed billet. The method also includes the steps of moving the pre-formed billet from the first die assembly to a second die assembly and pressing the pre-formed billet into the second die assembly to produce an extruded tube. The method further includes the steps of moving the extruded tube from the second die assembly to a third die assembly and pressing the extruded tube into the third die assembly to further elongate the extruded tube and decrease the thickness of the wall of the extruded tube to of from about 3 to about 18 millimeters to produce the drawn tube having the yield strength of at least 750 MPa.

A special-purpose die for shaping an aluminum-magnesium alloy by rotating extrusion is provided, including a male die and a female die, wherein a trapezoidally-sectioned groove is formed at an end portion of a working area of the male die, an inner portion of the male die is hollow, with the hollow inner portion having sections of equal area, a circumferential wall of a die cavity of the female die is provided with at least two symmetrical axial grooves, and a cavity is formed inside a clamping part of the female die. The present disclosure remarkably reduces the axial extrusion force such that the deformation of the formed workpiece is more uniform, which greatly improves the mechanical property of the formed workpiece.

A special-purpose die for shaping an aluminum-magnesium alloy by rotating extrusion is provided, including a male die and a female die, wherein a trapezoidally-sectioned groove is formed at an end portion of a working area of the male die, an inner portion of the male die is hollow, with the hollow inner portion having sections of equal area, a circumferential wall of a die cavity of the female die is provided with at least two symmetrical axial grooves, and a cavity is formed inside a clamping part of the female die. The present disclosure remarkably reduces the axial extrusion force such that the deformation of the formed workpiece is more uniform, which greatly improves the mechanical property of the formed workpiece.

An additive manufacturing (AM) extrusion die system having an extrusion die configured to receive a material to be extruded. The extrusion die includes a main body having a cylindrical section and a distal tapered section terminating at an extruder tip. The main body is configured to mount to a barrel of an additive manufacturing system. The die further includes a central extruder channel extending axially along the main body configured to receive the material at the cylindrical section of the main body and output the material at the extruder tip of the main body, and a cartridge heater slot formed within the main body and generally parallel to the central extruder channel. The cartridge heater slot configured to receive a cartridge heater therein for imparting thermal energy to the material within the central extruder channel. A cooling system is provided for controlling a temperature of the material.

An additive manufacturing (AM) extrusion die system having an extrusion die configured to receive a material to be extruded. The extrusion die includes a main body having a cylindrical section and a distal tapered section terminating at an extruder tip. The main body is configured to mount to a barrel of an additive manufacturing system. The die further includes a central extruder channel extending axially along the main body configured to receive the material at the cylindrical section of the main body and output the material at the extruder tip of the main body, and a cartridge heater slot formed within the main body and generally parallel to the central extruder channel. The cartridge heater slot configured to receive a cartridge heater therein for imparting thermal energy to the material within the central extruder channel. A cooling system is provided for controlling a temperature of the material.

Provided is a method of forming a cup-shaped aluminum-magnesium-alloy article by rotary extrusion, including the following steps. (1) Blanking. (2) Performing rotary extrusion: placing a cylindrical billet into a concave die cavity, wherein a peripheral wall of the cavity of the concave die is provided with at least two symmetrical axial grooves; inserting a convex die into the concave die cavity, wherein an end of a working region of the convex die is provided with a groove of a trapezoidal cross section; subjecting the convex die to forward extrusion and heating, and simultaneously rotating and heating the concave die, wherein an integral torque is formed during the extrusion process of the convex die by using the cylindrical billet inside the groove having a trapezoidal cross section, and wherein a synchronized rotation with the concave die is achieved by using a metallic billet that flows into the axial groove. (3) Demolding.