A Novel Modification to the Incremental Forming Process, Part 2: Validation of the Multi-directional Tooling Method

Incremental forming (IF), a novel sheet material forming technique which has the ability to eliminate the need for die sets, forms sheet material through the use of a non-cutting tool that gradually deforms the sheet material into the desired shape. Generally, the shape of the tool tip is a hemisphere. In the following works, the authors validate a novel tool shape, presented in Part 1 of this research, that allows forming of the sheet material in multiple directions at a rapid rate. The works described herein demonstrate that a more complex tool tip can result in greater formability, improved surface finish, and reduced springback. The tested tool tip shape described herein is that of two hemispherical tips, revolved about a common radius from a single axis, vertically offset to half of the tool path's step size.