Some considerations on force trends in Incremental Forming of different materials

Today, incremental Forming challenges are mainly related to formability limits and precision. High achievable strain levels, together with the possibility to form complex shapes without need for dedicated dies, probably represent the main process advantages. However the attention on material formability is always very relevant. Taking into account both the formability and the process accuracy, the knowledge of the forces generated between the punch and the clamped sheet supplies strategic information to the analyst. In fact, the force level is not only relevant for the equipment deflection but also influences the precision. In fact, in previous publications the authors demonstrated that there is a strict correlation between the force trend and the material failure approaching. In this paper, a broader analysis on AA1050‐O, AA3003‐O and DC04 drawing steel is carried out, highlighting the force trends depending on the process parameters and the relationship with formability limits.