Tube profile machining process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9463527-B2
Application number	US-201314065511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2013
Priority date	Nov 8, 2012
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

In a first embodiment, at a time of magnetic pulse welding, a stepped tube profile machining process axially bores a walled tube from an end inward to a transition depth to form a section with a reduced wall thickness and then axially bores the walled tube from the transition depth to a fall off depth, thereby forming a section with a maximized welding wall section. In a second embodiment, also at a time of magnetic pulse welding, a surface angle tube profile machining process axially bores at a surface angle a walled tube from an end to a bore length to form an angular welding wall thickness inward to a maximized wall section. For both embodiments, the bored surfaces are virgin with no pits, oil, residue, or oxidation thereon, thus making the machined walled tubes available for immediate magnetic pulse welding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stepped tube profile machining process, comprising:
axially boring a walled tube inward from an end thereof to a transition depth, wherein the axially boring removes pits, oil, debris, and oxidation from the end of the walled tube to the transition depth, thereby forming a first bored surface within the walled tube having a first reduced welding wall thickness;
axially boring the walled tube from the transition depth inward to a fall off depth, wherein the axially boring removes pits, oil, debris, and oxidation from the end of the walled tube to the fall off depth, thereby forming a second bored surface within the walled tube having a second reduced welding wall thickness that is thicker than the first reduced wall thickness;
wherein the axially boring steps require no additional processing time of using acid for cleaning the walled tube surfaces of oil, of ridding the acid from the walled tube surfaces, of drying the walled tube surfaces, or further of removing pits, oil, debris, or oxidation from the walled tube, since the axially boring steps occur immediately just before a time of attachment of the walled tube to a workpiece, by magnetic pulse welding the first and second bored surfaces of the walled tube to the workpiece.

2. The stepped tube profile machining process of claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is an end fitting that is inserted into the bored end of the walled tube until the end fitting is in contact with the fall off depth of the walled tube just prior to the step of magnetic pulse welding.

3. The stepped tube profile machining process of claim 2 , wherein the end fitting comprises a tube yoke and the walled tube comprises a driveshaft tube.

4. The stepped tube profile machining process of claim 2 , further comprising selecting thin tubular geometries, thereby reducing energy requirements, maintaining wall strength and lowering crush forces associated with the magnetic pulse welding.

5. The stepped tube profile machining process of claim 2 , wherein the end fitting and walled tube comprise a high strength aluminum alloy.

6. The stepped tube profile machining process of claim 1 , further comprising increasing the bore diameter along the inside of the walled tube and end fitting, thereby reducing crush forces.

7. The stepped tube profile machining process of claim 1 , wherein the walled tube has a 45° chamfer on an outside edge and is axially bored inward from the end to a transition depth that is inset approximately 5.6 mm with an overall diameter of approximately 178.4 mm, thereby forming a section with a reduced welding wall thickness that is inset approximately 4.4 mm.

8. The stepped tube profile machining process of claim 7 , wherein the walled tube is further axially bored from the transition depth to a fall off depth of approximately 36.8 mm, thereby forming a maximized welding wall section of approximately 5.9 mm, compared to an original walled tube thickness of approximately 6.7 mm that is also thicker than the reduced welding wall thickness that is inset approximately 4.4 mm.

Assignees

• Dana Automotive Systems Group

Inventors

• Smith Johnny N
• O'Neil Thomas M

Classifications

• B23K20/06 Primary

  by means of high energy impulses, e.g. magnetic energy · CPC title

• B23B2222/04

  Aluminium · CPC title

• B23B41/06

  for boring conical holes · CPC title

• F16L9/02

  of metal (F16L9/16 - F16L9/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16L13/0209

  Male-female welded joints (F16L13/0245 and F16L13/0254 take precedence) · CPC title