A method of forming a tubular structure includes mechanically pickling a metal strip. The metal strip includes opposing first and second surfaces. The method also includes stippling indicia onto the first surface of the metal strip. The indicia includes an informational pattern. The method further includes forming the metal strip into a tubular structure such that the first surface forms an interior surface of the tubular structure.

An indirect firing fastening tool, comprising driving and propelling means for a fastener to be set into a support, such driving means being rotationally mobile and configured to directly cooperate with the fastener or with a propelling member supported by the latter, so that a rotation of the driving means directly causes the translational driving and the propulsion of the fastener.

In an embodiment, a workpiece includes a hot-formed metal body and a marking, wherein the marking comprises a phosphor and/or pigments which are at least partly arranged on the metal body and which exhibit a reflection behavior and/or a reflectance behavior and/or an albedo behavior deviating from the metal body.

Generally, the instant disclosure is directed towards various methods of EMF-forming workpieces and the resulting workpieces. More specifically, the instant disclosure is directed towards various embodiments of imparting EMF-features onto workpieces, where workpieces with resulting EMF-features are configured as metal containers.

A mold for imparting a marking including a requisite optical element has two and a half dimensions (2.5D) to the outer surface of an article formed from a ductile material. The mold includes a marking surface for imparting the mark to an outer surface of the article. That imparting is done by localized plastic deformation of the material from which the article is formed upon the mold and the article being urged against each other. The marking surface includes a micro-structure formed by an arrangement plural micro meter sized recessed or protruded entities. The entities are arranged in a predetermined arrangement in relation to each other, and the entities are arranged as a micro-structure having two and a half dimensions (2.5D). The entities are arranged in an inverse arrangement compared to the optical element, and to provide the recesses extending from the marking surface into the mold.

In a method for joining a functional element with a metal sheet, with the functional element having an attachment part for attachment of a structure to the metal sheet, a cold forming process employed for the metal sheet is also used to mark the metal sheet with a sink mark by which a joining position of the metal sheet with the functional element is indicated. After the functional element is joined with the metal sheet at the joining position, the joining position is checked with respect to a position of the functional element inside of the sink mark.

A method of applying a marking to a part in a stamping die includes moving a component of the stamping die, the component having a mechanical application device secured thereto. A controlled volume of a marking medium flows through the mechanical application device during the moving such that a volume of the marking medium is controlled by the moving of the component during a stamping die operation. In one form, the component is an upper die of the stamping die.

A gutter piece and a method of forming the gutter piece including the steps of: obtaining a gutter forming apparatus with a marking subassembly; obtaining a supply of gutter material; through the gutter forming apparatus, progressively forming the gutter material into completed gutter pieces, each with a length, as the gutter material is advanced in a forming path; and through the subassembly, continuously making discrete visible marks on the gutter material as the gutter material is advanced that: a) reside at predetermined intervals along a length of each of the completed gutter pieces, and b) are located to facilitate controlled interval placement of hangers that are used to support the completed gutter pieces in an operative position on a structure.

After a connecting rod for an engine is formed, it is broken or fractured at a fracture point to allow the connecting rod to assemble around a portion of a crankshaft. However, before fracturing the connecting rod, the connecting rod is provided with a layer of paint across the eventual fracture point such that when the connecting rod is fractured the paint extends across both sides of the fracture point. Also before fracturing the connecting rod, serial numbers or symbols are etched into the paint on either side of the eventual fracture point. These serial numbers are unique to that connecting rod, and have similar indicia on either side of the connecting rod. The combination of the paint and serial numbers increase the ability of an assembly worker to assure matching parts of an original connecting rod are re-attached during assembly about the crankshaft.

In an embodiment, the method includes providing a blank, applying a marking to the blank in places and heating the blank with the marking to a deformation temperature. The method further includes deforming the blank to form the workpiece and cooling the workpiece, wherein deforming is a hot forming, wherein the marking remains at the workpiece at least until after deforming and cooling, and is not destroyed by deforming, and wherein the marking has a difference in the degree of reflection and/or a difference in the degree of reflectance and/or a difference in albedo of at least 15 percentage points in at least part of the near ultraviolet, visible and/or near infrared spectral range both with respect to the blank and with respect to the workpiece.