Roboforming - Investigations Regarding Forming Forces in SPIF Process

Abstract Single point incremental forming (SPIF) is a cold metal forming process, which is well known among researchers in the last years. This process differentiates itself from other classic cold forming processes due to the relatively low number of elements involved in the process, being suitable for small batches and prototypes parts. Taking advantage of their high flexibility, but at the same time losing the rigidity of CNC machines, industrial robots can be used in the incremental forming process, a process known as “roboforming”. One area of interest among researchers is represented by the forces which take place during the process, because they dictate whether an equipment is suitable or not in regards with material strenght. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of different toolpaths over the forces measured in SPIF which took place when DC04 sheet metal blanks were deformed with the help of KUKA KR210 robot.