Zf Friedrichshafen Ag

Dirk Maehlmann

Reinhard Buhl

Wolfgang Kleiner

Benjamin Ziebart

Frank Schmeink

Horst Pott

Christian Rziczny

Michael Heuer Gen Hallmann

Dirk Lamla

Philippe Milos

Florian Schiller

Annette Nienaber

Jens Otte

A ball joint with a housing formed entirely by a cold forming method. The housing having an inner chamber for receiving the joint ball of a ball pin and an opening through which the ball pin extends, and a contact area on the outer surface area of the housing forms a seal with a bellows. A forming section of the housing secures the joint ball within the inner chamber such that the joint pall can both rotate and pivot. Following completion of the housing, the material displaced during the cold forming method creates the forming section of the housing. The method for producing a ball joint comprises the steps of producing a metallic housing blank with a thickening formed by compression, forming the outer contour of the housing by compression, shaping the inner contour of the housing through dishing, and using the displaced material for creating the forming section.

Ball joint and method for the production thereof

Growing community of inventors

Vechta, Germany

Dirk Maehlmann