Abstract
The present paper aims to study the behaviour of Metal Active Gas (MAG) tailor welded blanks during the single point incremental forming process (SPIF) from an experimental point of view. The single point incremental forming process was chosen for manufacturing truncated cone and truncated pyramid shaped parts. The same material (S355) and the same thickness (0.9 mm) were selected for the joining of blank sheets because the main goal of the paper was to study the influence of the MAG welding process throughout the SPIF process. A Kuka robot, equipped with a force transducer and an optical measurement system were used for manufacturing and evaluating the parts by SPIF. The selected output data were major and minor strain, thickness reduction, forces and springback at the SPIF process. Another line test was performed to evaluate the formability in SPIF. The main conclusion of the paper is that during the SPIF process, fractures occur in one side welded blanks even at moderate wall angles, while in the case of double side welded blanks there is a decrease of formability but parts can still be produced at moderate angles (55 degrees) without any problems.
Highlights
As the main goal of the present study was the influence of welding throughout the single point incremental forming process (SPIF) process, on the research focusses on welded sheets having the same material
As the main goal of the present study was the influence of welding throughout the SPIF process, on the research focusses on welded sheets having the same material and thickness
A higher value of the strain hardening exponent (n) leads to a uniform strain distribution and implicitly to a better formability. All these results indicate a significant decrease of the formability of the welded specimens compared to the unwelded specimens
Summary
The use of welded blanks started as a result of the possibility of joining sheets having different densities, different mechanical characteristics and even different thicknesses, for the purpose of reducing their weight, while maintaining the strength. Their first applications appeared in the automotive industry, especially in the production of the reinforcement parts of cars which ensure increased stiffness [1]. Even if welding decreases the formability of the material, the application of a local heat treatment can lead to its improvement. Aluminium sheets or carbon-steel sheets can be used and there are currently several technological types of welding sheets: tailor welded blanks (TWB), patchwork blanks, tailor rolled blanks and tailor heat treated blanks [2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
