Patent ID: 9597721
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: B21D

Claim:
1. A spin forming process for manufacturing an article of a required shape from a workpiece, the workpiece having, with reference to the required shape of the article, an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the process comprises: mounting the workpiece at a mounting region, there being defined a proximal end of the workpiece and a distal end of the workpiece, the proximal end of the workpiece being closer than the distal end of the workpiece to the mounting region of the workpiece; rotating the workpiece with respect to a forming tool, the forming tool bearing against one of the outer and inner surfaces of the workpiece to deform the workpiece towards the required shape, the forming tool comprising a forming roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the forming roller; providing a first support which bears against the opposite surface of the workpiece compared with the forming tool, the first support comprising a first support roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the first support roller, the workpiece rotating with respect to the first support; and providing a second support which bears against the opposite surface of the workpiece compared with the forming tool, the second support comprising a second support roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the second support roller, the workpiece rotating with respect to the second support, the rotation of the workpiece being about a workpiece rotation axis defining an axial direction of the workpiece, and wherein the rotation of the workpiece further defines a radial direction of the workpiece perpendicular to the axial direction of the workpiece, and wherein the first support is disposed proximally of the second support and the forming tool is disposed distally of the second support so that no overlap occurs between the width of the forming roller and the width of the second support roller in at least one of the axial direction of the workpiece and the radial direction of the workpiece.