A progressive forming machine with die and tool units, one of said units sliding a limited distance along its axis and biased by a spring force towards the other unit, the units each having an end face with a smooth surface finish adapted to press against the smooth surface finish of the end face of the other unit, the end face area of one of the units being relatively small compared to its major cross-sectional area whereby a high contact pressure between the end faces is obtained for a given spring bias force such that extrusion/cooling oil coating a workpiece received in cavity portions is restrained from leakage from the cavity portions across said end faces during a hydrostatic trapped extrusion shaping the workpiece to a degree beyond limits of conventional cold-forming processes.

A progressive forming machine with die and tool units, one of said units sliding a limited distance along its axis and biased by a spring force towards the other unit, the units each having an end face with a smooth surface finish adapted to press against the smooth surface finish of the end face of the other unit, the end face area of one of the units being relatively small compared to its major cross-sectional area whereby a high contact pressure between the end faces is obtained for a given spring bias force such that extrusion/cooling oil coating a workpiece received in cavity portions is restrained from leakage from the cavity portions across said end faces during a hydrostatic trapped extrusion shaping the workpiece to a degree beyond limits of conventional cold-forming processes.

An apparatus for preparing a tube end for rod drawing with a floating mandrel has a releasable holder for the tube end centered on an axis, a frustoconical and spreadable floating mandrel, and a device for inserting the mandrel into the tube end and spreading the mandrel to flare the tube end. The apparatus further has a feed mechanism for inserting the floating mandrel into the tube end and/or a deforming device for making at least one indentation in the tube for holding the floating mandrel.