Experimental studies of formability in single point incremental forming of Cu-Al bimetallic sheets

Abstract

In the sheet metal forming industry, single point incremental forming (SPIF) is gaining popularity for producing asymmetrical shapes in small quantities as well as developing rapid prototypes. In the present experimental study, the effect of process variables on the maximum forming wall angle of Cu-Al bimetallic composite sheet using the SPIF process has been investigated. The Cu-Al bimetallic composite sheet was considered for the investigation because of its qualities, including high strength and outstanding thermal and electrical conductivity. The range of step depth, spindle speed, forming speed, layer arrangement, and lubrication type were used as input process variables during the experiments. Formability is evaluated as an output parameter using the maximum forming wall angle. The findings revealed that the Cu-Al layer arrangement produced the greatest forming wall angle with the highest value, 81.5°, when employing 0.6 mm step depth, 1500 rpm spindle speed, 750 mm/min forming speed, and liquid lubrication. Liquid lubrication produced greater forming wall angle values than solid lubrication in all of the experiments. In both lubrication conditions, the Cu-Al layer arrangement exhibited a larger forming wall angle than the Al-Cu layer arrangement.