A method of reducing the cycle time required for flow-drill screw operations by providing a dimple on a part that is engaged by a flow-drill screw. A tip of the flow-drill screw engages a contact band at a location spaced from the tip of the distal end of the flow-drill screw and base portion of the dimple. Friction between the flow-drill screw tip and dimple creates a heat concentration area and results in displaced material fanning a threaded collar. The flow-drill screw is secured by the threads of the threaded collar.

A forging press apparatus includes: a die with a die hole into which a material is to be contained and a relief hole smaller in diameter than the die hole; a molding punch configured to press an inner portion inside a peripheral portion of the material contained in the die hole; and a pressing member provided around an outer periphery of the molding punch to press the peripheral portion. A method includes: loading the material into the die; and forging the cup structure shaped by pressing the inner portion inside the peripheral portion of the material with the molding punch to cause the peripheral portion of the material to be brought into contact with the pressing member, and a part of the material to be pushed out into the relief hole by the molding punch to form a projection while a space is secured below the projection.

A coupling member head includes a holder configured to hold a coupling member at an end portion on a coupling target member side in an axial direction and configured to approach or separate from a coupling target member, a pair of electrodes, tips of the electrodes being positioned closer to the coupling target member side than a coupling member holding region of the holder, and a retraction mechanism configured to move the electrode to a radial outside of the holder when the holder approaches the coupling target member.

A cup member has a cylindrical portion, a bottom portion, and a short shaft portion having a solid shaft shape and including a joining end surface at an end portion thereof. A shaft member has a solid shaft shape and includes a joining end surface at one end thereof. The joining end surfaces of the cup and shaft members are brought into abutment against each other and welded from a radially outer side to form a welded portion. At this time, center segregation is prevented from interfering with the welded portion. The cup member is formed by forging including upsetting a billet having a columnar shape successively in a plurality of stages, extruding the cylindrical portion and the short shaft portion, and ironing the cylindrical portion. In the course of the upsetting, a region of the billet corresponding to a bottom side of the cup member is narrowed.

A cup member has a cylindrical portion, a bottom portion, and a short shaft portion having a solid shaft shape and including a joining end surface at an end portion thereof. A shaft member has a solid shaft shape and includes a joining end surface at one end thereof. The joining end surfaces of the cup and shaft members are brought into abutment against each other and welded from a radially outer side to form a welded portion. At this time, center segregation is prevented from interfering with the welded portion. The cup member is formed by forging including upsetting a billet having a columnar shape successively in a plurality of stages, extruding the cylindrical portion and the short shaft portion, and ironing the cylindrical portion. In the course of the upsetting, a region of the billet corresponding to a bottom side of the cup member is narrowed.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a precipitation strengthened Ni-based superalloy material having a predetermined composition, containing a blooming forging step of performing a forging at a temperature range of from Ts to Tm and performing an air cooling to form a billet having an average crystal grain size of #1 or more, an overaging thermal treatment step of heating and holding the billet at a temperature range of from Ts to Ts+50 C. and slowly cooling it to a temperature of Ts or lower, and a crystal grain fining forging step of performing another forging at a temperature range of from Ts150 C. to Ts and performing another air cooling, in which Ts is from 1,030 C. to 1,100 C., and an overall average crystal grain size is #8 or more after the crystal grain fining forging step.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a precipitation strengthened Ni-based superalloy material having a predetermined composition, containing a blooming forging step of performing a forging at a temperature range of from Ts to Tm and performing an air cooling to form a billet having an average crystal grain size of #1 or more, an overaging thermal treatment step of heating and holding the billet at a temperature range of from Ts to Ts+50 C. and slowly cooling it to a temperature of Ts or lower, and a crystal grain fining forging step of performing another forging at a temperature range of from Ts150 C. to Ts and performing another air cooling, in which Ts is from 1,030 C. to 1,100 C., and an overall average crystal grain size is #8 or more after the crystal grain fining forging step.

A method of reducing the cycle time required for flow-drill screw operations by providing a dimple on a part that is engaged by a flow-drill screw. A tip of the flow-drill screw engages a contact band at a location spaced from the tip of the distal end of the flow-drill screw and base portion of the dimple. Friction between the flow-drill screw tip and dimple creates a heat concentration area and results in displaced material forming a threaded sleeve. The flow-drill screw is secured by the threads of the threaded sleeve to secure the top part to the bottom part.

The present invention relates to a method and tools for manufacturing of seamless tubular shapes, especially tubes and canisters. In the method of the invention the tubular shape is extracted from the flash (1) continuously produced during the plunging of a consumable rod (2) against a rigid anvil (3). The tools of the invention include a consumable rod (2); a non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil (3); first means for rotating the consumable rod (2) and the non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil (3) relatively with respect of each other; second means for plunging the consumable rod (2) and the non-consumable or consumable rigid anvil (3) relatively against each other; open die condition configuration for continuous production of flash (1) during said plunging.

A collating system for rivets is provided that includes a rivet holder for supporting rivets in a predetermined pattern. In one form, the rivet holder includes a body having cavities for supporting the rivets therein. The rivet holder body includes a top plate member and a bottom plate member. The rivet holder has drive heads connected to the top plate member via frangible portions and the bottom plate member has retaining webs disposed below the drive heads. The top and bottom plates are secured together to capture heads of the rivets between the drive heads and retaining webs. The drive heads may be driven downward to drive the rivet heads from the rivet holder and into bores of a guide block with the retaining webs flexing to release the rivet head from the lower bottom plate member. A method of using the rivet collating system is also disclosed.