Patent ID: 7721443

Claim:
A method for producing a vehicle axle comprising: directing a first blank ( 1 ) through a furnace ( 2 ) and heating the blank ( 1 ) to a working temperature; directing the first blank ( 1 ) between a pair of rollers ( 3 , 4 ) having profiled surfaces and thereby forming the first blank ( 1 ) into an intermediate product having a predetermined profile along a longitudinal extent thereof; feeding the first blank ( 1 ) to a forging press having a number of cooperating die pads, and working the first blank ( 1 ) by die forging to form a substantially finished product having a cross section substantially in the form of a hat profile of predetermined height, width and material thickness along a length thereof; placing in connection with the hat profiled first blank ( 1 ), a second blank ( 14 ) having essentially the same profile as the hat profile of the first blank ( 1 ) in the dividing plane of the cooperating die pads; and joining the first ( 1 ) and the second blank ( 14 ) together at respective edges thereof and forming a composite vehicle axle ( 18 ), wherein the first and the second blank are simultaneously heated using heating means introduced between the first and second blank, which blanks are held between a pair of cooperating die pads in a press and the first and second blank are joined together by forge welding.