Research on the forming direction optimization for the uniformity of the sheet part thickness in the CNC incremental forming

Abstract

Aiming at the problem of the uneven thinning and distribution of the sheet part thickness in the computer numerical control (CNC) incremental forming, a homogenization method for the sheet part thickness based on the forming direction optimization was proposed. The influence rule for the forming direction on the sheet part thickness was presented. The best forming direction determination algorithm based on the STereoLithography (STL) model was also proposed to minimize the differences of the forming half cone angles at everywhere of the sheet part to be formed. The digital simulation for the CNC incremental forming process and practical forming experiment had been conducted using the two postures of the model before and after the forming direction was optimized. The results showed that the thickness distribution of the sheet parts that was formed according to the optimized forming direction was more even than that before optimization, and that the thickness reduction ratio is lower and the overall thickness is increased.