Research On Numerical Control Single-point Incremental Forming Technology Of Complicated Sheet Metal Parts

With introducing Layered Manufacture (LM) method into the sheet metal processing, Sheet metal Numerical Control Single-point Incremental Forming, which realizes the flexibility of sheet metal forming, processes sheet metal layer by layer with the increments of continuous local plastic forming along the programmed trajectory. The technology can directly manufacture workpieces with the shape of sheet, and the machining precision is very high because the metal plate is pressed only in some parts of the plate and the distortion is accumulated continuously to form whole shape. The importance of the technology is easy automatization during whole process (from modeling to CAE analysis and to machining contour). All of these characteristics make the technology become an advance manufacture technology which has a development future.Based on the former studies, this paper makes more complete and further theoretical anlysis and research on the forming principle of the NC Single-point Incremental Forming and the forming process of complicated sheet metal parts.The main conents include the common principle of process planning which based on the theory and practice experience,the manufacture of support model,the generation of tool path and NC code.The vertical wall parts'process planning is also layout as a whole.Tool path generation is an important part in the sheet metal digital incremental forming process. Using general CAD/CAM system can generate the tool path. But NC code generated by general CAD/CAM system does not suitable for the positive forming method.The NC code needs to be modified.The NC code generated by the general CAD/CAM system need be processed by a postprocessing program of Four linked Axes.After the modification, the NC code has been successfully used in the positive forming.The vertical wall parts can't be formed in a single process. To settle the problem, a method is given to form vertical wall parts, through which a conical part is gradually formed into vertical a wall part by multi-tool paths.The above-mentioned achievements in research have been already successfully applied to the system of Sheet Metal Numerical Control Single-point Incremental Forming.Some complicated sheet metal parts have been made, and good results have been achieved. Finally, this paper summarizes the research work and points out the areas needing further research.