The Penn State Research Foundation

Northwestern University

Aktiebolaget Skf

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

John Timothy Roth

Jian Cao

Bryan A McCoy

Michael Beltran

Nathan Hipwell

Ron Radovich

Sergey Fedorovich Golovashchenko

Albert Krause

Tyler John Grimm

Glenn Craig

Bryan A Mccoy

Ronald Radovich

An incremental forming tool of a sheet material has a tool holder having an axis and at least one tool rod mounted in the tool holder. The at least one tool rod may have variable shapes, lengths, diameters and radii such that the rotation of the at least one tool rod about the axis of the tool holder on the sheet material simulates an up and down, in and out, and/or side-to-side vibration motion.

Incremental forming tools and method

A system includes a frame configured to hold a workpiece and first and second tool positioning assemblies configured to be opposed to each other on opposite sides of the workpiece. The first and second tool positioning assemblies each include a toolholder configured to secure a tool to the tool positioning assembly, a first axis assembly, a second axis assembly, and a third axis assembly. The first, second, and third axis assemblies are each configured to articulate the toolholder along a respective axis. Each axis assembly includes first and second guides extending generally parallel to the corresponding axis and disposed on opposing sides of the toolholder with respect to the corresponding axis. Each axis assembly includes first and second carriages articulable along the first and second guides of the axis assembly, respectively, in the direction of the corresponding axis.

System and method for incremental forming

A process for forming a sheet metal component. The process includes rigidly clamping a piece of sheet metal to a clamping fixture and plastically deforming the sheet metal to produce a shaped component during a first manufacturing step. The shaped component has a first amount of springback. During a second manufacturing step, a pair of electrodes applies one or more pulses of electrical current at one or more locations on the shaped component while the shaped component is still rigidly clamped to the clamping fixture during. The one or more pulses of electrical current applied to the shaped component provide an electrically-assisted manufactured (EAM) shaped component. The EAM shaped component has a second amount of springback that is less than the first amount of springback.

Method for reducing springback using electrically-assisted manufacturing

A method of imparting compressive residual stress to a first plurality of balls includes a) placing the balls between a first body having a first surface and a second body having a second surface, the first surface including a smooth contact portion, the smooth contact portion being substantially flat or convex and having a surface hardness greater than or equal to an initial surface hardness of the balls, b) imparting a compressive stress along a first diameter of the balls by pressing the first body toward the second body or the second body toward the first body or the first and second bodies toward one another with a force, and c) causing relative movement between the first surface and the second surface while maintaining the force at or above a minimum level to impart the compressive stress along other diameters of the balls different than the first diameter.

Method of imparting compressive residual stress to balls

An apparatus for imparting compressive residual stress to at least a surface portion of a first plurality of balls includes a first body having a first surface, the first surface including a smooth contact portion, the smooth contact portion being substantially flat or convex and having a surface hardness greater than or equal to the initial surface hardness of the balls. The apparatus also includes a second body having a second surface, the first surface overlying the second surface, and at least one drive operably connected to the first body or to the second body and configured to move one of the first and second bodies relative to the other body at a substantially fixed distance, the at least one drive also being configured to move the first body toward the second body with a force or to move the second body toward the first body with the force.

Apparatus for producing compressive residual stress in balls

A process and apparatus for forming a sheet metal component using an electric current passing through the component. The process can include providing an incremental forming machine, the machine having at least one arcuate tipped tool and at least electrode spaced a predetermined distance from the arcuate tipped tool. The machine is operable to perform a plurality of incremental deformations on the sheet metal component using the arcuate tipped tool. The machine is also operable to apply an electric direct current through the electrode into the sheet metal component at the predetermined distance from the arcuate tipped tool while the machine is forming the sheet metal component.

Apparatus for electrical-assisted incremental forming and process thereof

A process for forming a sheet metal component using an electric current passing through the component is provided. The process can include providing a double side incremental forming machine, the machine operable to perform a plurality of double side incremental deformations on the sheet metal component and also apply an electric direct current to the sheet metal component during at least part of the forming. The direct current can be applied before or after the forming has started and/or be terminated before or after the forming has stopped. The direct current can be applied to any portion of the sheet metal. The electrical assistance can reduce the magnitude of force required to produce a given amount of deformation, increase the amount of deformation exhibited before failure and/or reduce any springback typically exhibited by the sheet metal component.

Electrical-assisted double side incremental forming and processes thereof

A method for forming a sheet metal component using an electric current passing through the component is provided. The method can include providing a single point incremental forming, the machine operable to perform a plurality of single point incremental deformations on the sheet metal component and also apply an electric direct current to the sheet a metal component during at least part of the forming. The direct current can be applied before or after the forming has started and/or be terminated before or after the forming has stopped and can reduce the magnitude of force required to produce a given amount of deformation, increase the amount of deformation exhibited before failure and/or reduce any springback typically exhibited by the sheet metal component.

Single point incremental forming of metallic materials using applied direct current

A method is provided for forming a sheet metal blank or tubular blank in a metal forming tool, such as a sheet metal press or a media forming tool. The sheet metal press has an upper die and a lower die that are moved by a press to form the metal blank. The forming tool has a plurality of electrodes that are connected in an electrical circuit to a source of direct current. The electrodes provide pulses of the electric current to at least a portion of the blank. The method comprises loading the blank into the forming tool and closing the upper die and the lower die. The electrical circuit is completed between multiple electrodes through one or more portions of the blank. Electrical current is pulsed intermittently through the blank in a plurality of pulses.

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McKean, PA, United States of America

John Timothy Roth