A swaging system for attaching surgical needles to sutures and testing the attachment strength includes a frame, a bottom swaging die mounted on the frame, and a top swaging die mounted on the frame and being moveable up and down along a swaging axis that is aligned with the bottom swaging die. The bottom swaging die includes a hinge mechanism with a bottom plate mounted to the frame and a top plate overlying the bottom plate. The top and bottom plates are pivotally connected for enabling the top plate to pivot relative to the bottom plate. The bottom swaging die includes a swaging tool that extends toward the top swaging die along the swaging axis, and a load cell disposed between the top and bottom plates for monitoring load. The system includes a control system having one or more pull test programs stored therein for evaluating pull tests on armed surgical needles to determine if the armed surgical needles are acceptable or unacceptable.

A machine and its associated process for upset forging the ends of deformed reinforcement bars are disclosed. The machine includes 2 split clamping dies and an upsetting die, and they are housed in separate casings so that the clamping action is independent from the upsetting die. The clamping dies and the upsetting die form a continuous cavity for accommodating the forging of long bars. The upsetting die has a upsetting cavity with radial closed cross-section, and the whole forging process is performed inside this closed cavity to ensure it's a true closed-die forging process, which results in precise upset diameter with improved roundness of the rebar.

The inspection device of the swing forging apparatus includes an inspection tool and a laser irradiation surface. When inspecting the swing forging apparatus, the inspection tool is supported to the head to which the processing roll is not supported, with a substantially same condition as the processing roll, and the inspection tool has a function of emitting a laser beam onto a central axis of the inspection tool. When inspecting the swing forging apparatus, the laser irradiation surface is arranged so that a relative position of the laser irradiation surface to the head in an axial direction of the head can be changed and the laser beam can be irradiated to the laser irradiation surface.

The inspection device of the swing forging apparatus includes an inspection tool and a laser irradiation surface. When inspecting the swing forging apparatus, the inspection tool is supported to the head to which the processing roll is not supported, with a substantially same condition as the processing roll, and the inspection tool has a function of emitting a laser beam onto a central axis of the inspection tool. When inspecting the swing forging apparatus, the laser irradiation surface is arranged so that a relative position of the laser irradiation surface to the head in an axial direction of the head can be changed and the laser beam can be irradiated to the laser irradiation surface.

In a method for thickening a plastically deformable hollow body wall of a hollow body, with effective radial support of the unthickened hollow body wall on an outer supporting face of an outer mold and with effective radial support of the hollow body wall on an inner supporting face of an inner supporting body, the hollow body is acted on by a compressive force by two application members at application points by moving the application members towards one another in the axial direction with a compressing movement. The application points on the hollow body are distanced from one another in the axial direction. An expansion space of the outer mold is arranged between the application points. Due to the compressing movement of the application members, material of the hollow body wall between the application points is plasticised in the region of the expansion space of the outer mold, and plasticised material of the hollow body wall flows into the expansion space of the outer mold, thus thickening the hollow body wall.

In a method for thickening a plastically deformable hollow body wall of a hollow body, with effective radial support of the unthickened hollow body wall on an outer supporting face of an outer mold and with effective radial support of the hollow body wall on an inner supporting face of an inner supporting body, the hollow body is acted on by a compressive force by two application members at application points by moving the application members towards one another in the axial direction with a compressing movement. The application points on the hollow body are distanced from one another in the axial direction. An expansion space of the outer mold is arranged between the application points. Due to the compressing movement of the application members, material of the hollow body wall between the application points is plasticised in the region of the expansion space of the outer mold, and plasticised material of the hollow body wall flows into the expansion space of the outer mold, thus thickening the hollow body wall.

A radial compression mechanism incorporates an introduction funnel that truncates down to a cylindrical cavity for radial compressing articles. The introduction funnel facilities the loading of an article into the cylindrical cavity and enables incremental radial compression of articles, such as stents. The radial compression mechanism employs a plurality of compression dies that are configured radially about the cylindrical cavity and move in unison to cause the cylindrical cavity to open or close. The compression dies are coupled with a base and drive mechanism for moving them in unison. A method of loading a delivery catheter with a radially compressed article, such as a stent, includes positioning a delivery catheter over a compressed portion of an article that extends from an exit end of the cylindrical catheter. One or more drive mechanism may be used to automatically and incrementally load a compressed article into a delivery catheter.

A radial compression mechanism incorporates an introduction funnel that truncates down to a cylindrical cavity for radial compressing articles. The introduction funnel facilities the loading of an article into the cylindrical cavity and enables incremental radial compression of articles, such as stents. The radial compression mechanism employs a plurality of compression dies that are configured radially about the cylindrical cavity and move in unison to cause the cylindrical cavity to open or close. The compression dies are coupled with a base and drive mechanism for moving them in unison. A method of loading a delivery catheter with a radially compressed article, such as a stent, includes positioning a delivery catheter over a compressed portion of an article that extends from an exit end of the cylindrical catheter. One or more drive mechanism may be used to automatically and incrementally load a compressed article into a delivery catheter.

The present invention discloses a swaging die holder for the flexible shaft operations. In the preferred embodiment, the swaging die holder comprises of an elliptical die holder slot, a stress relief slot, a radius curve, a recess and an insert. The die holder slot at top of the die holder allows each die holder to mount to the machine. The insert is adapted through the recess at the bottom of each die holder and designed to produce the different output profiles at the end of the flexible shaft. The insert is made of HSS material with cobalt content to achieve optimal life. The insert is further re-grinded or re-sharpened for same or other profile applications of the flexible shaft.

The present invention discloses a swaging die holder for the flexible shaft operations. In the preferred embodiment, the swaging die holder comprises of an elliptical die holder slot, a stress relief slot, a radius curve, a recess and an insert. The die holder slot at top of the die holder allows each die holder to mount to the machine. The insert is adapted through the recess at the bottom of each die holder and designed to produce the different output profiles at the end of the flexible shaft. The insert is made of HSS material with cobalt content to achieve optimal life. The insert is further re-grinded or re-sharpened for same or other profile applications of the flexible shaft.