A slew-actuated stamping station includes an expandable core configured to apply radially outward pressure to a radially inward facing surface of a radial wall, and at least one slew-actuated punch for piercing, along a radially inward direction, a respective hole in the radial wall. A method for piercing a radial wall includes simultaneously (a) applying radially outward pressure against a radially inward facing surface of the radial wall, and (b) driving a slew to actuate at least one punch to pierce, along direction opposite the radially outward pressure, at least one hole in the radial wall. A method for forming an object, having a radial wall with holes, includes forming a ring with a radial wall, and piercing at least one hole in the radial wall with at least one slew-actuated punch.

Provided is a method for producing an arm-like structure in which the arm-like structure is produced by: forming an arm precursor member having an external shape of the arm-like structure by, in a state in which a die is closed with a metal pipe member being disposed in a cavity thereof, pressurizing the pipe member with liquid supplied to an inside thereof to cause an external surface of the thus expanded pipe member to be pressed against an inner surface of the cavity; and forming a flange portion to be attached to a driven body by machining at least an end of the formed arm precursor member.

A metal pipe forming method includes: disposing a metal pipe material having a hollow shape between a pair of dies; and forming a metal pipe including a pipe portion and a flange portion by expanding the metal pipe material by supplying a fluid and bringing the metal pipe material into contact with the pair of dies. In the forming of the metal pipe, a gap which is positioned between a pair of inner surfaces of the flange portion and communicates with an internal space of the pipe portion is formed, and the flange portion is provided with a through-hole connected to the gap.

A forming method for a vehicle body member may include a tube making process of forming a steel pipe by welding a steel plate coil; a non-circular tube making process of primary preforming the steel pipe formed in the tube making process so as to have a cross section of a predetermined shape; a bending process of bending and secondarily preforming the steel pipe preformed firstly in the non-circular tube making process; and a hot stamping process of heating the secondarily preformed steel pipe, inserting the heated steel pipe into a mold to form a desired shape, and then, quenching the heated steel pipe to form a vehicle body member, thereby easily forming a vehicle body member having high rigidity.

A die 20 used to form a metal tube into a tubular twist beam part 22 having a U-shaped torsion section 66 is provided. The die 20 includes a punch 44 and side form blocks 34 which simultaneously engage a metal tube and form the metal tube into the tubular twist beam part 22. The form blocks 34 have a curved profile which depends on the desired profile of the tubular twist beam part 22 to be formed. The die 20 includes horizontal spacer blocks 38 and vertical spacer blocks 32 restricting movement of the punch 44 and form blocks 34. The spacer blocks 32, 38 can have various different dimensions and can be easily removed and replaced to adjust the closing position of the die 20 and thus form multiple tubular twist beam parts 22 each having a different dimension and different roll rate.

A groove forming station configured to simultaneously form a groove on an end of a plurality of tubes includes a conveyor system configured to receive one of the plurality of tubes and align the one of the plurality of tubes for a subsequent grooving process; a first groove forming device configured to form a first groove on one end of a plurality of tubes; a second groove forming device configured to form a second groove on another end of the plurality of tubes. The conveyor system is configured to convey the plurality of tubes to the first groove forming device; and the conveyor system being further configured to convey the plurality of tubes to the second groove forming device.

Provided is a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a hat-shaped section component including a curved projection portion such that a to-become-top-plate portion is pressed by a punch in a state where a to-become-flange portion is sandwiched between a die and a holder. The manufacturing apparatus includes the punch having a first mold surface including a curved projection portion mold surface, the holder, and the die having a fourth mold surface facing the first mold surface. An opening is formed in a part, of the fourth mold surface, that corresponds to the curved projection portion mold surface. The manufacturing apparatus includes a pad provided in the die and having a fifth mold surface facing the curved projection portion mold surface, the pad being configured to be relatively movable upward against downward biasing force so that the fifth mold surface becomes flush with the fourth mold surface.

Provided is a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a hat-shaped section component including a curved projection portion such that a to-become-top-plate portion is pressed by a punch in a state where a to-become-flange portion is sandwiched between a die and a holder. The manufacturing apparatus includes the punch having a first mold surface including a curved projection portion mold surface, the holder, and the die having a fourth mold surface facing the first mold surface. An opening is formed in a part, of the fourth mold surface, that corresponds to the curved projection portion mold surface. The manufacturing apparatus includes a pad provided in the die and having a fifth mold surface facing the curved projection portion mold surface, the pad being configured to be relatively movable upward against downward biasing force so that the fifth mold surface becomes flush with the fourth mold surface.

A slew-actuated stamping station includes an expandable core configured to apply radially outward pressure to a radially inward facing surface of a radial wall, and at least one slew-actuated punch for piercing, along a radially inward direction, a respective hole in the radial wall. A method for piercing a radial wall includes simultaneously (a) applying radially outward pressure against a radially inward facing surface of the radial wall, and (b) driving a slew to actuate at least one punch to pierce, along direction opposite the radially outward pressure, at least one hole in the radial wall. A method for forming an object, having a radial wall with holes, includes forming a ring with a radial wall, and piercing at least one hole in the radial wall with at least one slew-actuated punch.

A forming device which expands a metal pipe material to form a metal pipe having a pipe portion and a flange portion includes first and second dies paired with each other and including pipe forming surfaces for forming the pipe portion and flange forming surfaces for forming the flange portion, a drive unit that drives at least one of the first and second dies, and a controller that controls the drive unit, in which, on at least one of the flange forming surfaces of the first and second dies, a protrusion portion protruding by an amount not to abut against the other flange forming surface when the dies are closed is formed and the controller controls the drive unit to form a thin wall portion at which a thickness of the flange portion becomes partially small at the flange portion by the protrusion portion pressing the flange portion.