Preliminary investigations on Double Sided Incremental Forming of thermoplastics

Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) of polymers has gained significant attention due to the high material formability, absence of external heating of the polymer, and the use of part-shape-independent tooling. Despite the advantages of Double Sided Incremental Forming (DSIF) of metals, polymer DSIF has not yet been explored. This study examines DSIF of a PVC polymer. Forming forces, formability and void structure of the formed polymer in SPIF and DSIF are compared. Significant advantages of polymer DSIF over SPIF are observed including greater formability, reduced void growth in the material and reduced sheet bending outside the desired forming region.