Investigation on a novel in-line incremental die forming process for sheet metals

Abstract

In this study, an alternative to the conventional cold-roll-forming process was developed. The new in-line incremental die forming process is a continuous manufacturing process that can provide rapid prototyping of automotive components. This new process combines the pressing and drawing operations. The feasibility of using ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) sheets to manufacture real automotive components usually produced with the conventional cold-roll forming process was evaluated. Finite element simulations incorporating the mechanical properties of plasticity and ductile fracture were conducted to validate the new process. The results demonstrated that the proposed forming process efficiently produced automotive components with consistent shapes and lengths, and the simulation outputs were in good agreement with the experimental data in terms of dimensional accuracy and quality. Additionally, sensitivity analyses of process parameters such as friction and die design provide valuable insights for optimizing the newly proposed formation process of UHSS sheets.