Theoretical and Experimental Studies on the Influence of Process Parameters on Strains and Forces of Single Point Incremental Forming

Abstract

These paper aims to determine the influence of the most important geometrical parameters (vertical step and punch diameter) on the main strains, thickness reduction and the forces along two directions during the single point incremental forming process (SPIF). The paper comprises a comparative numericalexperimental study, for a simple geometry part obtained by incremental forming. In fact, in the first stage, the punch has a vertical motion with the value of one vertical step. In the second stage, the punch follows a linear trajectory along one side of the die. After each linear trajectory the punch has successive vertical motions, taking one vertical step at a time until the entire geometry of the part is done. In order to study the influence of the geometrical parameters, to the vertical step and the punch diameter were assigned three levels of variation. Following the selection of these geometrical parameters values, a factorial experimental program of type 32 has been adopted. The maximum values of the main strain and thickness reduction rises with the decrease of both vertical step and punch diameter and the maximum values of the forces are reached with the increase of both vertical step and punch diameter.