A friction stir processing system can include a rotatable die assembly. The rotatable die assembly can include a die body and a plurality of die segments. The die body includes a die base and a die stem. The die stem extends axially from the die base, the die stem defines an extrusion cavity, and the die body is formed from a first material. The plurality of die stems are coupled to the die stem. The plurality of die segments are disposed around the extrusion cavity to collectively form a die surface opposite to the die base. The plurality of die segments are formed from a different material than the die body.

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.

If a mandrel for extruding metal pipes, having two axially offset pressing surfaces with different radial characteristics and having a transition region between these two pressing surfaces has a support surface in the transition region then the negative effect of narrowing, which arises owing to the mandrel shifting from a first pressing position, in which the first of the two pressing surfaces interacts with a die, to a second pressing position, in which the second pressing surface interacts with the die, can be minimized.

A shear assisted extrusion process for producing cladded materials wherein a cladding material and a material to be cladded are placed in sequence with the cladded material positioned to contact a rotating scroll face first and the material to be cladded second. The two materials are fed through a shear assisted extrusion device at a preselected feed rate and impacted by a rotating scroll face to generate a cladded extrusion product. This process allows for increased through wall strength and decreases the brittleness in formed structures as compared to the prior art.

An extruder and tube extruder or metal extrusion press that has a press frame, which is composed of a cylinder bar and a counter bar connected to said cylinder bar, in which a movable block receiver holder that bears a block receiver and a movable plunger traverse are provided. A main cylinder or pressing cylinder is arranged in the cylinder bar. The cylinder receiving in its cylinder housing a pressing piston provided with a pressing plunger, and in which an equalization container is arranged in the cylinder housing. The container supplying hydraulic oil to the pressing piston by a slide plate provided on a central linkage. A filling valve that has a lid-like valve cone is formed in the transition from the equalization container to the cylinder housing.

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 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 precise and efficient cold-extension forming method for an unsymmetrical ferrule blank, comprising pipe-cutting blanking, surface phosphorus saponification treatment, ferrule cold-extrusion forming, and turning post-treatment. In the step of surface phosphorus saponification treatment, firstly, shot blasting pretreatment is performed on the surface of a ferrule blank by using a shot blasting machine; and then, the process steps of washing, phosphorization, washing, saponification, and drying are completed in sequence. In the step of ferrule cold-extrusion forming, automatic material feed is performed by using an automatic feeding machine, and the material is conveyed to a cold-extrusion punch press for cold-extension. The method features low equipment investment cost, short technological process, and low energy consumption.

A method of forming a fiber-reinforced composite part includes forming a composite preform by extruding a hollow metal shape onto a fiber-reinforced preform at an extrusion temperature and cooling the hollow metal shape from the extrusion temperature to a temperature less than the extrusion temperature. Heat from the hollow metal shape cooling from the extrusion temperature is conducted into the fiber-reinforced preform for curing thereof. Also, thermal contraction of the hollow metal shape onto the fiber-reinforced preform applies a consolidation pressure on the fiber-reinforced preform for curing thereof. The fiber-reinforced preform may be a hollow fiber-reinforced preform and a die can be moved through the hollow fiber-reinforced preform such that consolidation pressure is applied thereto by a combination of the thermal contraction of the hollow metal shape onto the hollow fiber-reinforced preform and the die moving through the hollow fiber-reinforced preform.