The present invention discloses a special hydraulic press for bulging pressing forming of an automobile axle housing and a pressing forming method. A hydraulic press body is a closed frame consisting of an upper cross beam, a lower cross beam, four stand columns I, II, III, and IV, four vertical pull rods I, II, III, and IV, and four transverse pull rods I, II, III, and IV, and is used for balancing a deformation force up to 3000 T in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction in the pressing forming process. During pressing forming, the downward speeds of a main hydraulic cylinder, small left and right vertical hydraulic cylinders are precisely controlled to prevent the left end, the right end and the middle of the tube blank from bending.

The present invention discloses a special hydraulic press for bulging pressing forming of an automobile axle housing and a pressing forming method. A hydraulic press body is a closed frame consisting of an upper cross beam, a lower cross beam, four stand columns I, II, III, and IV, four vertical pull rods I, II, III, and IV, and four transverse pull rods I, II, III, and IV, and is used for balancing a deformation force up to 3000 T in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction in the pressing forming process. During pressing forming, the downward speeds of a main hydraulic cylinder, small left and right vertical hydraulic cylinders are precisely controlled to prevent the left end, the right end and the middle of the tube blank from bending.

A method for shaping a blank comprising a metal includes a step of loading die blank onto a first die, a step of bringing the first die and a second die together, 3 step of forming a seal around the blank, and a step of injecting a pressurized molten salt into a space in die blank to supply a hydraulic pressure to the blank.

A method for shaping a blank comprising a metal includes a step of loading die blank onto a first die, a step of bringing the first die and a second die together, 3 step of forming a seal around the blank, and a step of injecting a pressurized molten salt into a space in die blank to supply a hydraulic pressure to the blank.

A forming device of forming a metal pipe having a pipe portion includes a first die and a second die constituting a first cavity portion configured to form the pipe portion and a second cavity portion configured to form a flange portion, a drive mechanism configured to move at least one of the first die and the second die, and a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas into a metal pipe material which is held between the first die and the second die and is heated, in which each of the first die and the second die has flange forming surfaces which face each other and constitute the second cavity portion, and a protrusion portion, which protrudes from one flange forming surface to the other flange forming surface, is formed on at least one of the flange forming surfaces of the first die and the second die.

The controller controls the gas supply of the gas supply unit so as to maintain a pressure in a metal pipe material at a first pressure when a gas is supplied into the metal pipe material which is formed into a pipe portion in a main cavity portion in a state where an upper die and a lower die are joined to each other. It is possible to prevent pressure drop in the pipe portion caused by cooling of the pipe portion due to a contact between the dies, and the pipe portion. Thus, it is possible to suppress a decrease in a force for pressing the pipe portion against the dies. It is possible to suppress a decrease in adhesion between the pipe portion and the dies when the metal pipe is formed, and it is possible to suppress occurrence of variations in hardenability in the pipe portion.

The controller controls the gas supply of the gas supply unit so as to maintain a pressure in a metal pipe material at a first pressure when a gas is supplied into the metal pipe material which is formed into a pipe portion in a main cavity portion in a state where an upper die and a lower die are joined to each other. It is possible to prevent pressure drop in the pipe portion caused by cooling of the pipe portion due to a contact between the dies, and the pipe portion. Thus, it is possible to suppress a decrease in a force for pressing the pipe portion against the dies. It is possible to suppress a decrease in adhesion between the pipe portion and the dies when the metal pipe is formed, and it is possible to suppress occurrence of variations in hardenability in the pipe portion.

An expansion forming apparatus that shapes a metal material with a die includes an electrode that comes into contact with the metal material and performs energization heating, and an electrode mounting unit having an electrode movement actuator that moves the electrode along an extension direction of the metal material during heating.

An automotive component manufacturing method includes a molding process of pressing a portion of a hollow tube formed from a metal material, or a composite material including a metal and a resin, so as to deform the portion of the hollow tube, from a tube outer side toward a tube inner side, to beyond an axial center of the hollow tube, and mold the portion of the hollow tube into a deformed section deformed with a concave profile; and a deformation process of deforming a location having a high level of residual stress in a closed cross-section configured by the deformed section so as to deform the location out-of-plane.

An automotive component manufacturing method includes a molding process of pressing a portion of a hollow tube formed from a metal material, or a composite material including a metal and a resin, so as to deform the portion of the hollow tube, from a tube outer side toward a tube inner side, to beyond an axial center of the hollow tube, and mold the portion of the hollow tube into a deformed section deformed with a concave profile; and a deformation process of deforming a location having a high level of residual stress in a closed cross-section configured by the deformed section so as to deform the location out-of-plane.