Method and apparatus for forming automotive wheel rim blanks

Abstract

A system for forming wheel rim blanks in which a coiling station, an end conditioning press, a welding station, and a weld seam finishing station are all arranged to form a continuous path in the direction of the axis of the rim blank so that blanks can be readily transferred from one station to the next, with each station being simultaneously loaded and unloaded. In the coiling station a blank of strip material is coiled into the form of a cylinder with the longitudinal edges of the coiled blank defining a preloaded longitudinal gap. The coiled blank is then axially transferred to an end conditioning press while moving the longitudinal edges of the blank to predetermined circumferential positions so that the gap has a preselected width and circumferential location as it enters the press. Each time a coil blank is axially transferred from the coiling station to the end conditioning press, an end conditioned blank is simultaneously axially transferred from the press to the welding station. The end conditioning press flattens the longitudinal edge portions of the coiled blank, and these longitudinal edges are then welded together in the welding station. From the welding station, the welded blanks are axially transferred to a finishing station where they are advanced through a longitudinal trimming station for removing weld flash from the longitudinal surfaces of the weld seam, a planishing station for planishing the longitudinal surfaces of the weld seam, and an edge trimming station for removing weld flash from the ends of the weld seam. The system is adjustable throughout for forming rim blanks of different diameters and axial lengths.