Sheet metal is formed over a mandrel as the sheet metal and the mandrel move past successive pressure applying rolls in order to form tapered or other non-uniform sections. Pressure is applied to the sheet metal by the upper rolls of a roll forming machine having sleeves of elastomeric material adapted to conform to the variations in the shapes of the sections. An elongate mandrel may be successively fed into the roll forming machine or, for continuous operation, the mandrel may be made into sec...

A vibratory forming method, and apparatus, in which material is drawn across a pair of forming tools which are both vibrated. The phase angle between the two vibrations is neither zero nor 180.degree., but is adjusted to a defined intermediate value to increase the efficiency of the process, especially by minimising the drawing force required. The invention applies particularly to the plug drawing of metal tube.

A punch for deep drawing of tubular components has at its leading end a rim of very hard material which projects radially just proud of the outer surface of the punch and is adapted to finish the interior side wall surface of the tubular component as the punch is withdrawn therefrom. The punch is used on apparatus in which it carries the material from which the component is to be formed through a forming die. At the limit of forward movement the tubular component is secured while the punch is wi...

A method of forming holes laterally in the wall of plastics tubing, such as, for example, in medical cannulae, uses a smooth-surfaced, pointed needle. The needle is first forced along its length through the wall of the tubing by a gas-driven motor to form a pierced aperture in the wall. The needle is withdrawn from the aperture and drive is then applied from a gas-driven turbine to rotate the needle at high speed about its longitudinal axis. The needle is then inserted into the pierced aperture,...

A forming leveller establishes one or more datum or reference planes in variable thickness stock to facilitate subsequent roll forming. The reference planes may be established on the same side or opposite sides of the stock with a lateral gap to facilitate transition forming. The leveller includes top and bottom closely spaced roll sets forming multiple passes mounted on bottom and top frames, respectively, with floating rolls being opposed to fixed rolls. Back-up rolls are provided for the floa...

A partition member having partition walls arranged in a lattice is disposed in the vicinity of an upper surface of a molten metal mass. The upper surface is divided by the partition walls into a multiplicity of segmental surfaces. A forming starter member is brought into contact with the partition member so that the molten material adheres to a starter surface of the forming starter member, and is then separated from the partition member. The molten metal is drawn from each of the segmental surf...

A forming apparatus comprises a die formed with a through hole for provision of a cavity. A feeder box stored with a raw material powder having an average grain diameter of 0.1 .mu.m.about.500 .mu.m is positioned above the cavity of the die, and the raw material powder is allowed to fall into the cavity while an inside of the feeder box and an inside of the cavity are each maintained at a pressure not greater than 10 kPa. During the supply of the raw material powder, the feeder box may be vibrat...

Drawn wall ironing of metal sheets facilitated by pouring a polymer coating on at least one surface of the metal.

Forming apparatus such as a press which includes a support or base having a bed which carries a crosshead mechanism. The crosshead mechanism is movable for reciprocation with respect to the bed in order to bring together co-operating parts of the form or press tooling respectively carried by the bed and crosshead mechanism. The crosshead mechanism is guided for such reciprocation relative to the support structure by a linear hydrostatic bearing mechanism and is driven by a pair of connecting rod...

Forming apparatus including a plurality of hydraulic jacks arranged in a particular configuration to exert a force on the marginal edges of adjacent hollow bodies so that the bodies may be precisely aligned for welding each to the other.