Incremental Sheet Forming with Cut Boundaries for Steep Walls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Incremental sheet forming technologies face challenges in forming structures with steep walls, as they tend to thin excessively or tear when attempting to create angles greater than sixty degrees, due to the lack of lateral material draw-in and inadequate support.

Innovation Solution

A system and method involving a workpiece with a boundary region containing openings and connecting elements that allow for lateral material draw-in, where the boundary region is cut into the workpiece to facilitate incremental sheet forming, enabling the formation of steep walls without tearing by maintaining a threshold thickness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If incremental sheet forming is used to form structures with steep walls (angles greater than sixty degrees), then the wall angle is improved, but the material thickness deteriorates (thins to less than one half of original thickness) and tearing occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewall angleVSAvoidmaterial thickness

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The boundary region is cut into the workpiece before the incremental sheet forming operation begins. This preliminary action creates openings that allow material to draw in laterally during forming, preventing excessive thinning and tearing of steep walls while enabling the formation of structures with angles greater than sixty degrees

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The workpiece is segmented by cutting the boundary region into a pattern of openings surrounded by connecting elements. This segmentation allows controlled material flow during forming, enabling lateral draw-in of material to maintain thickness in steep wall regions while still achieving the desired steep wall angles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

The solution allows for the successful formation of structures with steep walls at angles of sixty degrees or greater, maintaining a thickness of at least 50% of the original blank thickness, preventing material tearing and enabling the creation of previously unformable parts.

Implementation Method 1

incremental sheet forming includes forming a structure or a workpiece by a series of incremental forming operations, or plastic deformations on/to a starting blank

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4108357A1Incremental sheet forming systems and methods for forming structures having steep walls

Publication Date: 2022.12.28 THE BOEING CO

Figure 1~2
Figure 3A
Figure 3B

AI summary

A system and method for forming a structure with steep walls (walls having an angle greater than 60° with respect to a level plane) through one or more incremental sheet forming operations is provided. The method includes a workpiece with an inner region and an outer region that are separated by a boundary region. The boundary region includes a plurality of openings and a plurality of connecting elements. The openings are cut into the workpiece using a boundary region cutting tool. A forming tool is configured to operate on the inner region after the boundary region cutting operation has been completed. At least one control unit is in communication with the forming tool. The at least one control unit operates the forming tool to form the structure from the inner region.