Incremental Forming: an Industrial Perspective

The incomparable presence of sheet metal forming in the manufacturing industries stimulates significant research interest to explore and improve the process. Sheet metal forming sector witnessed a technology shift in recent years and is moving towards process automation leading to new emerging technologies. One such emerging technique that has a higher degree of process versatility and automation capability is Incremental Sheet Metal Forming which is the subject of study in this research work. Even though Incremental Forming has numerous advantages over conventional sheet metal forming, the process still remains in the evolution phase. There are several unexplored areas that demand clear understanding to improve the quality of formed part. Thus, this systematic study of all the process determinants explored the most suitable combination of process parameters to form parts with enhanced geometrical accuracy and part quality. This study explored an innovative TPIF mechanism which reframes the process capability of incremental forming. This research in turn enhances the industrial suitability and commercialization aspects, making rapid sheet metal forming a reality.