Importance

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Abstract

An improved method for fabricating a vehicle wheel from a one-piece sheet metal blank involves a nine station transfer die. In a first station, a sheet metal blank is drawn into a dish-shaped wall, a cylindrical outside wall, a first contour, and a first side wall. In the second station, the dish-shaped wall is reverse drawn to form a hub and an inside wall, and a valve hole is punched into the first contour. In the third station, the hub is flattened to be substantially perpendicular to an axial centerline of the partially fabricated wheel, and an outer peripheral edge of the first side wall is trimmed. In the fourth station, the inside wall is laterally formed so as to be in contact with the outside wall, and an outer peripheral edge of the first side wall is wiped over to form a flange. In the fifth station, a second contour is laterally formed. In the sixth station, a first offset and inner and outer hub-stiffening embosses are drawn into the hub. In the seventh station, a second offset is drawn in the hub, and a second side wall is laterally formed to complete a tire engaging rim. In the eighth station a center aperture and a plurality of wheel mounting holes are punched in the hub. Finally, in the ninth station, the center aperture and the wheel mounting holes are extruded, and a plurality of rim-stiffening embosses are laterally formed in the rim.

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First Claim