Patent ID: 6186225
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: B21D,F28D,F28F,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for making a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:placing an elongated tube having at least one open end into a die cavity and closing the cavity and to form an integral piece projecting outward from the side of the tube;hydroforming the tube to a desired shaped by filling the tube with a pressurized fluid to deform the tube outward into engagement with the surface of the die cavity;the die containing a plurality of chisel points or pierce punches to pierce apertures into the tube along one side portion thereof while the tube is in the die cavity thereby forming cooling tube receiving apertures in the tube;after removing the shaped tube from the cavity, closing the at least one open end with an end cap to form a first tank;forming a second tank by repeating the above steps;providing a plurality of cooling tubes sized to fit into the cooling tube receiving apertures and inserting a first end of each cooling tube into a cooling tube receiving aperture in the first tank and inserting a second end of each cooling tube into a cooling tube receiving aperture in the second tank; andsealingly joining the cooling tubes to the first and second tanks whereby fluid can flow from the first tank through the cooling tubes to the second tank.