Importance

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Abstract

A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel includes the steps of providing a wheel rim and a spider and holding the spider inside the wheel rim. The wheel rim and the spider are positioned in a high capacity forming machine. At least one of a portion of the wheel rim located adjacent an outer periphery of the spider and a portion of the outer periphery of the spider is permanently deformed towards the other of the wheel rim and the spider thereby securing the wheel rim to the spider. An apparatus for securing the wheel rim to the spider includes a bottom die, a bottom inside rim stabilizer supported on the bottom die, a spider supported on the bottom inside rim stabilizer, a top inside rim stabilizer and a wheel rim supported by the bottom rim stabilizer and the top inside rim stabilizer. A high capacity forming machine encircles the wheel rim. The high capacity forming machine includes a workpiece which at least sometimes contacts the wheel rim and an electric circuit located adjacent the workpiece. A capacitor bank is electrically connected to the electric circuit of the high capacity forming machine. A switching circuit is electrically connected between the capacitor bank and the electric circuit for regulating a discharge of electricity from the capacitor bank into the circuit. The workpiece of the high capacity forming machine is capable of delivering a forming velocity of at least 10m/second. A typical workpiece is either a resilient wall of an electrohydraulic device or a compression coil of an electromagnetic device.

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First Claim