Orbital forming of tailored blanks from sheet metal

Orbital forming as an incremental bulk forming process can be applied on sheet metal to create a defined circular sheet thickness characteristic. This paper presents an investigation of the process parameters with their effects on the part geometry and properties. With FE-simulation and experiments the influencing parameters have been analyzed. The forming force, tumbling angle and lubricant were identified as the main influencing factors on the form filling. But the number of rotations governs the inhomogeneity of the thickness distribution. The potential of the process is shown by a comparison to an upsetting process.