An Analytical Review of Incremental Single Sheet Metal Forming Technique

Abstract

Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) has evolved as a flexible and low-cost alternative to conventional metal forming processes, especially for low volume production of complex three-dimensional shapes (complex geometry parts) without using costly dedicated die. This review is focused on process parameters, tool path strategies, tool geometry, and lubrication in SPIF and their combined effects on formability, surface quality and geometric accuracy. The potential use of SPIF in automotive, aerospace and biomedical domains is also considered. The process has some merits including lower tooling cost and shorter design-to-production time, but is also confronted with long forming time, dimensional in precision, and surface defects. In this paper, the advances in the trends on and the optimization of the efficiency and product quality aspects of SPIF are reviewed