Predication of forming forces in single point incremental forming by using finite element simulations and validation of it with experimental results

Abstract

Single point Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is a versatile forming process, where tool travels on the sheet metal’s surface to form a product gradually by a succession of localized deformation. The ISF forming approach has shown a great potential to convert the sheet into the product by incremental forming has a wide range of industrial applications. ISF has a huge potential to attain economic payoff for small number production innumerous applications. Hence, ISF has been a kin interest of researcher from last two decades. In this study finite element simulation of aluminum alloy sheet was done, for this simulation, cone shaped geometry has taken for consideration. FE simulation of this ISF process was done using LSDyna package. The main purpose of this work is to check the capability of finite element simulations to predict the forming force generated during SPIF forming process. For this, three different thicknesses of the sheet were taken, i.e. 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, and effect of sheet thickness on different output parameters like forming force was studied. Results obtained for forming force, from this simulation study were further validated using experimental data available earlier. From this study; it is clear that, the developed finite element simulation model is capable of providing reliable results in the prediction of the forming force during the ISF process, which gives same trend as like in the experimental results. Force predicted from ISF simulation was also validated through analytical equation established by the researcher.