Abstract
The use of biodegradable materials has a growing field of application due to environmental concerns, however, scientific research on incremental forming using biomaterials is scarce. Thus, this study focuses on the single point incremental forming (SPIF) process applied to a composite sheet that combines a biodegradable thermoplastic matrix (Solanyl) reinforced with natural fibres (flax). The influence of the process parameters on the final geometry is determined, evaluating the effect of the following factors: step depth, wall angle and temperature reached during the process. Additionally, a heated aqueous medium is incorporated which facilitates the formability of the composite sheets. This method is especially useful for materials that have poor formability at room temperature. The benefits of using controlled heat include the reduction of formation forces applied to the plate, improved accuracy due to the reduction of elastic recovery, and the manipulation of the samples remarkably close to the glass transition temperatures. Through this experimental study with the variables analysed, a maximum shaping depth of 310 mm is obtained. These results confirm that the single point shaping used with bioplastic materials is possible and has positive outcomes for incremental forming.
Highlights
Material processing methods are being continuously modified due to technological development and the need to process materials faster
This article gathers the experimental results of the single point forming process in sheets of composite material (Solanyl-linen fibres)
This article gathers the experimental results of the single point forming process in sheets of Solanyl and composite material (Solanyl-linen fibres)
Summary
Material processing methods are being continuously modified due to technological development and the need to process materials faster. One method of processing materials, called incremental forming, is a technique that progressively deforms a sheet of material, using a tool operated by numerical control machines. The single point incremental forming (SPIF) process was applied to metallic materials for small batch production. This technique is focused on creating prototypes of materials; the complex methods of conventional tooling for forming processes represent a limitation due to the high investment for the manufacturing process. The manufacture of biomedical implants, through the incremental forming process, has reached deviations in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm, using the variation of the tool path as a method to improve the dimensional accuracy of the final product [4]
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