Method for reducing springback using electrically-assisted manufacturing

A process for forming a sheet metal component comprising:

• providing a piece of sheet metal having a thickness;
• providing a clamping fixture and rigidly clamping the piece of sheet metal to the clamping fixture;
• providing a single point incremental forming (SPIF) machine and rigidly securing the clamping fixture with the piece of sheet metal to the SPIF machine;
• performing a first manufacturing step of plastically deforming the piece of sheet metal while the clamping fixture is rigidly secured to the SPIF machine and forming a shaped component from the piece of sheet metal, the shaped component having a first amount of springback;
• providing a pair of electrodes configured to pass electrical current from one electrode to another electrode;
• performing a second manufacturing step of applying one or more pulses of electrical current at one or more locations on the shaped component while the shaped component is still rigidly clamped to the clamping fixture using the pair of electrodes, the one or more pulses of electrical current applied to the shaped component providing an electrically-assisted manufactured (EAM) shaped component, the EAM shaped component having a second amount of springback that is less than the first amount of springback;
• wherein the pair of electrodes are oppositely disposed across the thickness of the piece of sheet metal during the steps of applying the one or more pulses of electrical current at one or more locations on the shaped component.

A process for forming a sheet metal component comprising:

• providing a piece of sheet metal;
• providing a clamping fixture and rigidly clamping the piece of sheet metal to the clamping fixture;
• performing a first manufacturing step of plastically deforming the piece of sheet metal while it is rigidly clamped to the clamping fixture and forming a shaped component from the piece of sheet metal, the shaped component having a first amount of springback and a thickness;
• providing a pair of electrodes oppositely disposed across the thickness of the shaped component and configured to pass electrical current from one electrode to another electrode;
• performing a second manufacturing step of applying one or more pulses of electrical current at one or more locations on the shaped component while the shaped component is still rigidly clamped to the clamping fixture using the pair of electrodes during the second manufacturing step, the one or more pulses of electrical current passing through the thickness of the shaped component from one electrode to another electrode and providing an electrically-assisted manufactured (EAM) shaped component, the EAM shaped component having a second amount of springback that is less than the first amount of springback.

A process for forming a sheet metal component comprising:

• providing a piece of sheet metal having a thickness;
• providing a clamping fixture at a first workstation and rigidly clamping the piece of sheet metal to the clamping fixture;
• providing a single point incremental forming (SPIF) machine and rigidly securing the clamping fixture with the piece of sheet metal to the SPIF machine;
• performing a first manufacturing step of plastically deforming the piece of sheet metal at the first workstation while the clamping fixture is rigidly secured to the SPIF machine and forming a shaped component from the piece of sheet metal, the shaped component having a first amount of springback;
• unsecuring the clamping fixture and moving the shaped component to a clamping fixture of a second workstation;
• providing a pair of electrodes configured to pass electrical current from one electrode to another electrode at the second workstation;
• performing a second manufacturing step of applying one or more pulses of electrical current at one or more locations on the shaped component at the second workstation while the shaped component is still rigidly clamped to the clamping fixture using the pair of electrodes, the one or more pulses of electrical current applied to the shaped component providing an electrically-assisted manufactured (EAM) shaped component, the EAM shaped component having a second amount of springback that is less than the first amount of springback.