A review of conventional and modern single-point sheet metal forming methods

The use of computers in manufacturing has enabled the development of several new metal forming processes that are based upon older technologies. In this case modifications have been made to traditional forming methods such as conventional spinning and shear forming. These two processes are similar in that the deformation mechanism is localized to a small region under the forming tool. Recent advances in computing power have enabled this localized deformation to be accurately controlled and studied. Spinning, shear forming and flow forming are limited to forming parts that are symmetrical about the revolving lathe axis. Current research has been focused on forming non-symmetrical parts using computer numerical control (CNC) technology, without the need for costly dies. A comparison of traditional and modern forming methods is presented here in an attempt to illustrate the evolution of different incremental sheet metal forming techniques. Emphasis is placed on conventional spinning, shear forming and modern computer-controlled forming methods that are currently being studied.