Sheet-bulk forming of three-dimensional features in metal and polymer blanks

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to investigate material flow and force requirement in sheet-bulk forming processes where loading is applied perpendicular to sheet thickness. The presentation draws from material characterization to experimental and numerical analysis of process parameters related to the material and geometry of the blanks, and to the shape of the forming punches. The work is performed in aluminum AA-5754-H111 and polycarbonate and is a step towards exploring the potential of using sheet-bulk forming to produce polymer parts at room temperature. Incremental sheet-bulk forming of polymer rack gears demonstrate the potential of the process to fabricate small batches of complicate parts widely used in machines and mechanisms.

Keywords

Sheet-bulk forming metals polymers gears experimentation finite element method

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