Method and apparatus for manufacturing extruded parts

Abstract

A method of manufacturing micro-multi-port tubing including actuating a hydraulic press to apply a force to a billet to extrude material through a die opening. The die opening defines at least two distinct segments to produce a single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port extrusion strand having at least two distinct segments being interconnected by a web section. The method further includes separating the single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand to substantially remove and/or reshape the web section to define at least two separate and independent micro-multi-port tubing segments from a single extrusion strand.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of extruding tubing comprising: 
 providing an extruding system having a billet of material, a pressure ram, and a die member, said die member having a die opening defining at least two distinct segments;    actuating said pressure ram to apply a force to said billet to extrude said material through said die opening of said die member to form a single, unitary strand having at least two distinct segments being interconnect by a longitudinally extending web section; and    separating said single, unitary strand along said longitudinally extending web section to define at least two separate and independent segments.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary strand along said longitudinally extending web section to define said at least two separate and independent segments includes cutting said web section using a circular blade.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary strand along said longitudinally extending web section to define said at least two separate and independent segments includes cutting said web section using a slitting device.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary strand along said longitudinally extending web section to define said at least two separate and independent segments includes shearing said web section.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary strand along said longitudinally extending web section to define said at least two separate and independent segments includes blanking said web section.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 coiling said single, unitary strand prior to said step of separating said single, unitary strand along said longitudinally extending web section to define said at least two separate and independent segments.    
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing micro-multi-port tubing, said method comprising: 
 providing an extruding system having a billet of material, a pressure ram, and a die member, said die member having a die opening defining at least two distinct segments;    actuating said pressure ram to apply a force to said billet to extrude said material through said die opening of said die member to form a single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand having at least two distinct segments being interconnect by a web section; and    separating said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand to substantially modify said web section to define at least two separate and independent micro-multi-port tubing segments.    
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand to substantially modify said web section to define at least two separate and independent segments includes cutting said web section using a circular blade.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand to substantially modify said web section to define at least two separate and independent segments includes cutting said web section using a slitting device.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand to substantially reshape and modify said web section to define at least two separate and independent segments includes shearing said web section.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein said step of separating said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand to substantially modify said web section to define at least two separate and independent segments includes blanking said web section.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 coiling said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand prior to said step of separating said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand to substantially remove said web section to define at least two separate and independent segments.    
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing micro-multi-port tubing, said method comprising: 
 providing an extruding system having a container for holding a billet, a pressure ram, and a die member, said die member having a die opening defining at least two distinct sections;    actuating said pressure ram to apply a force to said billet to extrude said material through said die opening of said die member to form a single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand having at least two distinct segments being interconnect by a longitudinally-extending web section; and    cutting said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand along said longitudinally-extending web section to separate said single, unitary, continuous micro-multi-port strand into at least two separate and independent micro-multi-port tubing segments.