RESEARCH CLUSTERING AND THE STATE-OF-THE-ART IN MICRO SHEET METAL FORMING: A REVIEW

Micro-metal forming that offers solutions for micro-part manufacturing has developed rapidly over many years. In this paper, research clustering on mechanical micro-sheet-metal forming system is described, and a review is presented. Trending research topics in recent years are then discussed. The process forming investigation is more interesting than other aspects, as size effect phenomena at the micro-level influence the quality of the micro-product. It is concluded that more efforts are still needed to fill the gap in developing micro-forming technology to meet the industrial application requirements, especially in producing final products with good quality, which can be achieved only with good material properties, high tooling technology, proper working parameters and sophisticated material handling in precision forming machines. [Submitted 19 December 2017; Accepted 31 May 2018]