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Procedia CIRP 12 (2013) 270 – 275

8th CIRP Conference on Intelligent Computation in Manufacturing Engineering

Robust design of incremental sheet forming by method

G. Ambrogioa, F. Gagliardia, L. Filicea,*
a
Dep. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Calabria, P. Bucci - Cubo 46/C, Rende (CS) 87036, Italy
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +39-0984-494640; fax: +39-0984-494673.E-mail address: l.filice@unical.it.

Abstract

Although the competitiveness of Incremental Sheet Forming process can be recognized by the literature review, some intrinsic
aspects penalize its industrial application. In particular, even if the idea to take advantage from the bigger formability appears of
great interest, on the other hand the not homogeneous thickness distribution reduces the industrial suitability. However, a
fact,
previous experimental investigations carried out by the authors showed that it is possible to influence the thinning phenomenon by
applying a proper tool trajectory. The present study was executed with the aim to design a robust procedure able to highlight how to
modify the tool trajectory in order to improve the thickness distribution along the profile. More in particular, the study is based on
the coupled use of the numerical ana All the results are widely discussed in the paper.
© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
© 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Professor Roberto Teti.
Selection and peer review under responsibility of Professor Roberto Teti
Keywords:

Networks were utilized to predict springback in wipe

1. Introduction
In the last years, a strong effort has arisen in industry
to reduce time and costs, with regard to the global
economy; the need for rapid prototyping and small
production batches is continuously increasing. These
trends have placed the attention on the use of new and
advanced technologies for quickly turning raw materials
into usable goods [1]. According to this scenario, a new
family of processes, named Incremental Forming, have
been introduced in the manufacturing industry for these
purposes. Nevertheless, the greater flexibility of these
processes corresponds to the high complexity, that
requires larger attention in the calibration of the optimal
set-up conditions [2].
According to that, optimization techniques are
typically implemented to support the designer in the
process start-up. For instance, the springback problem
was widely investigated and optimized in the past by
implementing different techniques: numerical simulation
and Response Surface Methodology were used to
control, predict and minimize springback amount in
sheet metal forming operation [3-4]. In the same way,
intelligent techniques, such as Artificial Neural
implemented to minimize the burr size in the drilling
operations [6]; in particular, Gaitonde et al. proposed a
the multi-objective approach in order to take into
account both the dual and opposite aims which typically
affect the drilling process such as the simultaneous
minimization of the burr height and the burr thickness
[6].
A similar approach was proposed in this study in
order to optimize one of the main weakness of the
Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) process. The
technological principle of ISF is that a blank is clamped
at its border and progressively deformed by a punch that
follows a tool path program reproducing the final part
shape [2]. Nowadays, a wider industrial application of
ISF is penalized to the main limitations of the process
itself, which are: (i) the long process time, (ii) the sheet
thinning, (iii) the limited geometrical accuracy [2].
Recent solution was proposed to reduce the cycle time in
ISF operation for symmetric shapes, by conceiving a
instead of a milling machine [7]. Similarly, several
studies were developed to improve the products

2212-8271 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer review under responsibility of Professor Roberto Teti
doi:10.1016/j.procir.2013.09.047
 G. Ambrogio et al. / Procedia CIRP 12 (2013) 270 – 275 271

accuracy obtained by ISF [8]; a little less was done up to wall slope and imposing an offset angle 10 [9].
now to optimize the thickness distribution along the
profile or, more specifically, to reduce the thinning
phenomenon which characterizes the ISF operations [9].
Inspired to the last aspect and to the approach
proposed by Ambrogio et al. [9], a hybrid numerical and
statistical procedure was designed to optimize the tool
trajectory with the final scope to reduce the maximum
thinning. To pursue this aim an analytical objective
function was properly derived. All the details are
reported in the following chapters.

2. Problem evidences (a)

In ISF applications tool trajectory is typically

considered as a problem data, automatically generated
using CAD-CAM programs. On the contrary, due to the
process mechanics, the tool trajectory strongly affects
the strain path, the thickness distribution and the process
performance [2]: according to that, previous
experimental campaign highlighted that a proper
modified trajectory can be preferred over a
(named Single Slope) in order to
optimise the material flow during the process running
[10]. More in particular, the alternative Decremental (b)
Slope (DS) trajectory, proposed by Ambrogio et al. [9],
Fig. 2. ISF output in term of thickness distribution (a) and accuracy (b)
is based on the idea to apply an over-slope where the
for DS strategy.
sheet is usually less stretched; after that, a lower angle is
imposed by the tool where the localized over-thinning
However, the proposed strategy introduces a new
usually appears [9]. Starting from this concept and given
way to improve the ISF process quality; naturally, a
the required wall inclination angle , an offset of ±
simple trial and error approach to define both offset
degrees is applied to the tool path, according to the
) and the .
following equations (1) and (2), as displayed in Fig. 1.
On the contrary, an optimization procedure can be
designed to pursue the final aim: more in detail, for a
' (1) fixed geometrical condition (or CAD profile), it can be
'' (2) determined each time the best combination of variable
factors (including the process parameters) that
simultaneously maximises the minimum thickness (t min)
and minimises the maximum shape distortion (d).

3. Multi-response optimization for ISF

Taguchi-based optimization method provides a

Fig. 1. Decremental slope trajectory.
As experimentally showed, although the DS
trajectory allows a more suitable average thickness
distribution, on the other hand it implies a partial
reduction of the profile accuracy, since a sort of
discontinuity on the wall (d) was measured [9]. Both
these aspects are highlighted in Fig. 2, for an
experimental test carried out on AA1050 sheet, 1 mm
thick, aimed at obtaining a frustum of cone having a 70°
powerful optimization technique that differs from
traditional practices since it can economically satisfy the
design optimization with minimum number of
experiments [10]. Actually, the original Taguchi
technique is designed to optimize a single performance
characteristic. To overcome this problem, several
modifications were suggested to the original Taguchi
method but all of them increase the computational
process complexity [11].
Gaitonde et al. [6] proposed a simple modification to
the Taguchi method for the multi-objective problem,
which employed a multi-performance objective for each
trial of the Orthogonal Array (OA) based on membership
272 G. Ambrogio et al. / Procedia CIRP 12 (2013) 270 – 275
functions associated with all the final aims of the
investigated problem.
According to the ISF evidences previously
highlighted, the same approach was applied in this study
to determine the optimal values of process parameters,
punch diameter (Dp) and tool pitch (p), and decisional
factors, offset angle (
given geometry which allow to maximize the minimum
thickness (tmin) and to minimize the maximum distortion
(d).
To pursue this aim two membership functions t and
d, associated to t min and d respectively, were fixed such
as:
t final depth of the CAD profile.
t 1 min
t0
d
d 1
d max
where t0 is the initial blank thickness and dmax is the
maximum distance between the ideal CAD profile and
the over-dimensioned one that can be accepted by
implementing a DS strategy (see Fig. 1). In particular, it
is important to underline that by means of simple
geometrical conditions the distance d between the two
profiles can be measured as:
d H ' (cot g cot g (a ))
From a graphical point of view the simultaneous
minimisation of thinning (t0-tmin) and profile distortion d
requires the minimisation of the shaded areas as reported
in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. Membership functions for the investigated problem.
In the same way, from an analytical point of view, the
multi-objective function can be defined as:
(t0 tmin ) d (1
fopt _ tot t d
2 2
where the coefficient and (i.e. were
introduced to establish which aim is the most relevant.
Concluding, the optimisation problem can be stated as:
min( f opt _tot ) (7)
u.c.
;
2
Hf H ' H min ;
0 H ' (cot g cot g ( )) d max
where Hmin is a constant different to zero and Hf is the
(3)
4. Hybrid optimization procedure
(4)
Even if the multi-objective problem is well designed,
a trail and error approach to drive its resolution could
requires a large number of experiments. On the other
hand, a further optimization technique has to be
implemented in order to reduce the number of
experiments preserving the analysis robustness. More in
Array (OA) were invoked to design the minimum
was executed by using Minitab.
In the same way, instead of the experimental
(5)
evidence, the numerical approach and a more robust
finite element model (FEM) was adopted to predict the
process performance with respect to the considered aims
[12]. This choice, in fact, allows to reduce the time and
the cost associated to the experimental validation. The
details of the FEM model were already highlighted by
the authors in previous works [12].
Starting by the previous hypothesis and being known
the geometrical data of the problem (i.e. wall inclination
angle , final depth Hf) and the problem constrains (i.e.
initial thickness t0, material type, maximum geometrical
error allowed dmax), the decision maker can use the
proposed procedure to design a DS tool trajectory aimed
at solving the problem (7):
Step 1. Design of the optimisation function by
properly choosing the coefficient values, and in a
proper way;
Step 2. OA selection taking into account three levels
for each investigated factors. This assumption lead to
highlight for the investigated ISF problem, with four
factors, an L9 orthogonal array for each product
configuration [10];
Step 3. Application on a robust FEM model [12] to
predict both the thinning and the accuracy of the
) process;
(6)
Step 4. Data extraction and dataset building;
 G. Ambrogio et al. / Procedia CIRP 12 (2013) 270 – 275 273

optimisation; explicit model was implemented which is characterized

Step 6. Optimal solution detection. by very low execution time and good performance [12].

The flowchart of the procedure is reported in Fig. 4. Table 2. Factors and levels

Levels
Offset angle ( ) 4° 7° 10°
10mm 20mm 30mm

Punch diameter (Dp) 10mm 14mm 18mm

Tool pitch (p) 0.2mm 0.6mm 1mm

Table 3. L9 Orthogonal Array.

# Dp p
1 10 0.2 4 10
2 14 0.6 4 20
3 18 1.0 4 30
4 14 1.0 7 10
Fig. 4. Flowchart of the hybrid procedure.
5 18 0.2 7 20

5. Case study 6 10 0.6 7 30

7 18 0.6 10 10
To well asses the suitability of the previous 8 10 1.0 10 20
procedure a general case of study is here proposed. The 9 14 0.2 10 30

trajectory, by defining the best values for Dp, p, and

H Taguchi optimization requires the minimization of
signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio) associated with the
constrains of the problem are summarized in Table 1. multi-performance objective function for each trial of
The coefficient values are arbitrarily fixed by the the orthogonal array and described by the Equation (8).
decision maker equal to =0.8 and =0.2, with the 2
hypothesis to put higher relevance to the thinning S / N _ ratio 10log10 ( fopt _ tot ) (8)
purpose.

Table 1. Problem data and constraints

This value is reported, for each test in Table 4
together with the response performances.
Geometrical data Constraint
Table 4. Measured response and S/N ratio.
Shape Frustum of cone Maximum 3mm
Wall angle ( ) 65° distortion # tmin d fopt_tot S/N
(dmax)
1 0.26 1.55 0.299 10.482
Sheet thickness (t0) 1mm
2 0.17 1.35 0.335 9.482
Final height (Hf) 50mm
3 0.18 1.50 0.343 9.269

For the investigated case study the lower and higher 4 0.26 2.85 0.489 6.199
values of the investigated domain can be fixed according 5 0.14 2.51 0.505 5.919
to the process mechanics and the suitable process set up 6 0.15 1.08 0.327 9.685
by the decision maker. The summary of the factors and 7 0.20 4.17 0.835 1.559
levels is reported in Table 2.
8 0.27 1.85 0.327 9.702
Instead of a fully orthogonal plane, which
9 0.14 2.48 0.500 6.005
was adopted and only 9 experiments are necessary to
define the domain [10]. The corresponding L9 OA is The Analysis of Means (ANOM) outcome for the
reported in Table 3. investigated case can be derived by response diagrams as
To measure the ISF performance an LS-Dyna shown in Fig. 5.
274 G. Ambrogio et al. / Procedia CIRP 12 (2013) 270 – 275
The level of factor with the highest S/N ratio is the
optimal one. According to that, for the investigated case
study, the optimal configuration of DS tool trajectory
corresponds to Dp=10mm, p=1mm,
requires a preliminary wall inclination angle of 69° for
20mm of depth and a subsequently wall angle of 61° up
to the end of the profile. This best setting, tested by FEM
tool, lead to obtain the following responses:
tmin=0.22mm, d=0.11mm and a total objective function
value equal to fopt_tot=0.24.
Fig. 5. Main effect plot for S/N.
To validate this result, a comparative analysis
between the thickness distributions obtainable by using
the conventional trajectory and the optimized one was
evaluated. The result is graphically reported in Fig. 6.
As it can be stated, the area under the sine law curve
(which corresponds to the worst zone from a mechanical
point of view [2,9]) decreases by using the DS
trajectory.
Fig. 6. Comparison between optimized and not optimized thickness
distribution.
Naturally this result is strongly dependent on the
investigated CAD geometry and by the considered
factors range.
This means that the same procedure needs to be
repeated each time, but the total execution time is
relative to a small number of numerical simulations.
6. Conclusion
multi-objective ISF problem is proposed in this study.
The approach is based on the introduction of two
membership functions, used to derive a single multi-
performance objective for the investigated problem. The
optimum search is then driven by the minimum OA, in
order to reduce the number of trials.
A robust FEM model is used to simulate the problem
and to quantify both membership functions, multi-
performance function and, as consequence, S/N ratio.
Finally, the ANOM provides the best process setting
within the selected ranges that simultaneously minimizes
the thinning and the shape geometrical error.
A case study is finally reported only to state the
procedure suitability.
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