Patent ID: 11911817
Assignee: FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 15:
16. An apparatus for forming a part comprising: a die having:
a plurality of round orifices;
a plurality of central mandrels disposed within each of the round orifices; and
sets of bridges and corresponding portholes between the bridges, each of the sets of bridges and portholes disposed around each of the central mandrels, each set of the bridges extending in a radial direction of a corresponding one of the central mandrels, each of the sets of bridges including flat side surfaces extending along a direction parallel to an axial direction of the corresponding one of the central mandrels, each of the sets of portholes being defined by adjacent ones of the flat side surfaces of the set of bridges,
wherein a spacing of each set of the bridges around the corresponding one of the central mandrels is non-equiangular, and
wherein the die allows a material to be extruded through the die to form a plurality of round, closed geometry tubes from the material such that the plurality of round, closed geometry tubes each have non-equiangular welds after emerging from the die.