Tool path effects on wrinkling in metal sheet incremental roll profiling

Abstract. The paper introduces an innovative Incremental Forming (IF) machine, termed "FlexRoll Bending," designed for flexible sheet forming on straight components. Unlike traditional processes, this machine employs two working rollers that can move along three directions and rotate, eliminating the need for specific dies. The study focuses on an "on-edge forming strategy" to manufacture non-uniform cross-section sheet metal parts, presenting a cost-effective alternative to conventional methods. The experimental setup utilizes a 0.8 mm DD11 steel sheet, and a novel toolpath theory is introduced for calculating the movement of the forming rollers. Numerical simulations in LS-DYNA software assess the impact of different toolpaths on the final geometry, revealing successful part manufacturing without defects using a linear toolpath and identifying wrinkling in a two-stage toolpath. The results demonstrate the potential of the FlexRoll Bending process for die-less manufacturing of complex geometry sheet metal parts with low forming forces.