Formability of lightweight alloys by hot incremental sheet forming

In this paper, the performance of a novel manufacturing process, named hot incremental sheet forming, is investigated; this process is characterized by low cost and time saving. Three lightweight alloys, typically utilized in the aircraft and aerospace industries, were formed by supplying a continuous current in order to generate a local heating. The latter allows a higher formability as compared to cold forming. The workability windows of the materials were drawn confirming the approach suitability and allowing a quick process design when a given geometry is desired. Finally, considerations on the microstructural changes and surface roughness were also supplied. The details are, carefully, explained in the manuscript.

► We proposed an innovative way to shape lightweight materials (i.e. AA2024-T3, AZ31B-O, Ti6Al4V).
► A flexible process based on electrical heating was designed.
► Specific energy (Esp) was measured during the experiments in order to optimize the product quality.
► The formability map for each material was finally drawn.