Vibrating tool path design for new multi-axial vibration assisted incremental sheet forming

In this study, a new multi-axial vibration assisted incremental sheet forming (MV-ISF) process is introduced by developing a vibrated toolpath and an ellipsoidal headed tool design. The process has been shown to improve the formability of tested materials due to the introduction of a low-frequency and high-amplitude vibration field. To understand the forming characteristics of the MV-ISF process, the geometrical accuracy, surface quality and formability in forming a conic geometry are investigated through experiments and finite element analysis using two aluminium alloys and compared with that formed using the conventional ISF tool path design. An analytical model of the material deformation under the vibration condition is also proposed to assess the enhanced formability of the MV-ISF process. The new vibrated tool path design combined with the use of the ellipsoidal headed tool provides a simple and potentially effective solution for improving the forming accuracy, surface quality and formability of ISF manufactured parts.