Asymmetric Incremental Sheet Forming with Localized Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Incremental forming methods face challenges in shaping thicker materials with high yield strength and low ductility, such as medium carbon steel, high carbon steel, Titanium Grade 5, and Magnesium sheets, due to high forming forces and difficulty in creating localized slope changes without cumbersome backing plates.
Innovation Solution
An asymmetric incremental sheet forming apparatus that uses a dynamically moving heating source synchronized with the forming tool to locally increase plasticity at the contact zone, reducing forming forces and unwanted deformation, and optionally employs cooling to maintain higher yield strength in surrounding areas, eliminating the need for separate annealing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If incremental forming is used on thicker materials with high yield strength and low ductility, then the forming forces become high, but the material can still be deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies temperature as a parameter change to modify material properties. By locally heating the material at the contact zone before and during forming, the yield strength and hardness of the material are reduced, enabling formation with lower forces. The heating temperature is controlled to be below the recrystallization temperature to maintain material strength in non-heated regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary heating of the material in the contact zone before the forming tool applies deformation. This pre-heating softens the material in advance, reducing the force required for subsequent forming operations. The heating source moves synchronously with the forming tool to maintain this preliminary softened state during deformation.
2Shape
If backing plates are used to create localized slope changes, then the slope changes can be achieved, but the backing plates are cumbersome and difficult to use when slope change is not near the edge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local heating to create a localized softened zone in the material where slope changes are needed. This localized property change allows the material to be deformed into sharp angles and localized features without requiring global support structures like backing plates. The heating is confined to the contact zone, leaving surrounding areas with higher strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the support function from physical backing plates and replaces it with thermally modified material properties. By heating and softening the material in specific zones, the material itself provides the necessary compliance for deformation, eliminating the need for external backing plate structures.
3Ease of manufacture
If the heating source moves synchronously with the forming tool, then plasticity is increased at the contact zone, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heating function with the forming operation by using a single synchronized motion system for both the heating source and the forming tool. This integration allows both thermal softening and mechanical deformation to occur in the same localized zone simultaneously, improving formability without requiring separate positioning systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a multi-functional system where a single synchronized positioning system controls both the heating source and the forming tool. This universal control mechanism performs multiple functions (heating and forming) through one coordinated system, reducing the need for separate independent systems while maintaining precise control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the accurate and efficient shaping of materials with limited strainability at room temperature, including hard-to-form metals and thermoplastics, by increasing plasticity at the contact zone while maintaining higher yield strength in adjacent areas, thus reducing material strains and eliminating the need for backing plates.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heating means (4) arranged to locoregionally provide a heat flux (5) to the sheet material (1) and to increase the plasticity of the sheet material (1) along the contact toolpath of the forming tool (3)
Implementation Method 2
at least one cooling means (6) to cool a zone of sheet material (1) adjacent to the contact zone of the forming tools (3) or adjacent to the heating zone on the toolpath
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates, in general, to sheet material forming technology and the forming of structures there from. The invention relates to incremental forming of sheet material (1) with localised heating (5) and more particularly to a system and method for incrementally forming a sheet blank (1) that is at the same time heated by a dynamically moving heating source (5). This dynamic and localised heating locally changes the mechanical properties of the sheet material (1), thus facilitating the forming process.