Patent ID: 7886567

Claim:
A die apparatus for performing a flashless forging operation to manufacture a toothed portion of a steering rack, said rack having a longitudinal axis and said toothed portion comprising teeth, said die apparatus comprising: first and second die members and first and second punch members, each having a forming surface shaped substantially as an obverse of an exterior portion of said toothed portion, and at least a portion of the forming surface of said first die member being shaped substantially as an obverse of said teeth, wherein said first and second die members are moveable towards each other along a first axis to a closed position thereby partially forging said toothed portion from a blank placed in said die apparatus and forming a substantially closed cavity defined by said forming surfaces, said first and second punch members being disposed on opposite sides of said cavity, between said first and second die members, and said first and second punch members being adapted to move towards each other along a second axis substantially perpendicular to both of said first axis and said longitudinal axis, into said cavity, once said die members are in said closed position, thereby forging longitudinal indentations on either side of said toothed portion and completing said forging operation.