Investigating the Effect of Single-Point Incremental Forming Process Parameters with a Hyperbolic Wall Model on the Formability of Aluminum-Polymer Composite Sheets

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

Abstract

Single-point incremental forming (SPIF), as a novel method in sheet forming processes, has attracted significant attention, especially for producing lightweight and advanced parts, due to its high flexibility and reduced production costs. This study investigates the effect of process parameters on the formability and fracture of aluminum-polymer multilayer sheets. The sheets consisted of two layers of 1050 aluminum and a polymer layer based on polyethylene modified with maleic anhydride, produced under controlled temperature and pressure conditions. Maleic anhydride, as a compatibilizer, improved interlayer adhesion and enhanced bond stability. Experiments were conducted using a CNC milling machine and a forming tool with a constant diameter of 10 mm. The experimental design was a full factorial, examining the effects of vertical step size, spindle speed, and feed rate on formability depth and fracture angle. Results showed that vertical step size is the most influential parameter affecting the fracture mechanism and formability depth; increasing it from 0.1 to 0.3 mm improved the fracture angle and formability depth. The best process performance was achieved with a combination of a 0.3 mm vertical step size, 1000 rpm spindle speed, and 1000 mm/min feed rate. This research demonstrates that the SPIF process has high potential for forming aluminum-polymer multilayer sheets and can be used as an efficient method for producing lightweight parts.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Materials Forming

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 04 October 2026

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