Patent ID: 8661676

Claim:
A method for fabricating a multi-port tube, said method comprising the steps of: providing an elongated web of a metallic stock material; providing a rotary die forming station; advancing said web of stock material through said rotary die forming station wherein said station is configured and operative so as to form a pattern of features in said web, said pattern of features comprising a first and a second group of features, each group comprising a plurality of ridges and grooves extending along at least a portion of a width dimension of said web, said width dimension being transverse to the direction of travel of said web through said rotary die forming station; said first and second groups of features being spaced from one another along a length dimension of said web, said length dimension being parallel to the direction of travel of said web through said rotary die forming station; cutting said web having said pattern of features defined thereupon, along its width dimension so as to provide a strip having a pair of opposed, cut edges corresponding to said width dimension of said web; and thereafter folding said opposed cut edges of said strip inward, toward the center of said strip, so as form a tubular structure wherein said grooves and ridges define a plurality of fluid channels within said tubular structure.