Hot incremental forming of magnesium and aluminum alloy sheets by using direct heating system

Abstract

This article presents the use of an electrically assisted manufacturing method in the incremental sheet forming process to improve formability, surface quality, and geometric accuracy. This system utilizes a direct current source connected directly to a metal sheet through two electrodes at opposite edges to conduct heat based on Joule’s effect. The approach produces a homogeneous heating zone in the whole metal sheet with very short ramping time. In this work, the heating system is designed to serve the investigation of formability, geometric accuracy, and surface roughness of the hot incremental forming technology. Three main results expected from this system are the influence of the processing parameters on the formability, the ability to improve accuracy and formability, and the reduction or elimination of springback effects in the deformation of high-strength aluminum alloy sheets (AA5055) and magnesium alloy sheets (AZ31).