Sheet metal system and manufacturing process joining incremental forming and direct metal deposition

A sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition, including:

• a retractable and extendable incremental forming tool supported together with a direct metal deposition tool by a tool holding head;
• a plate;
• a groove created in the plate, in a first stage to a first groove depth;
• the direct metal deposition tool temporarily positioned within the groove;
• a material deposited by the direct metal deposition tool onto a surface within the groove creating a rib defining a first height rib extending through the first groove depth, the rib directly connected for an entire length of the first height rib to a vertical wall defined by the groove, the first height rib oriented transverse to the vertical wall;
• the groove when modified in a second stage has a second groove depth greater than the first groove depth;
• and
• an additional amount of the material deposited onto the first height rib after the second stage creates a second height rib extending through the second groove depth.