Incremental sheet forming system with resilient tooling

An apparatus for forming a work piece made from metal or plastic sheet material, the work piece having first and second opposed parallel surfaces and defining a reference plane that is parallel to the first and second surfaces of the work piece, which comprises:

• a. a sheet feeding assembly configured and arranged to receive and move the work piece in a direction parallel to the reference plane, the sheet feeding assembly having at least one continuous belt that surrounds and contacts a set of rotatable pulleys, the belt being arranged to be positioned in contacting relation with the first or second surfaces of the work piece to move the work piece in a direction parallel to the reference plane;
• and
• b. a primary forming tool assembly arranged to be positioned to face the first surface of the work piece and arranged to move-in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane into and out of engagement with the first surface of the work piece so as to exert a forming force on the first surface of the work piece without perforating the work piece, and in a direction parallel to the reference plane;
• and
• c. a backing roller tool assembly configured and arranged to move in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane into and out of engagement with the work piece, the backing roller tool assembly having:
• i. a cylindrical configuration for rotating about a longitudinal axis of the backing roller tool assembly;
• and
• ii. an inner core and an outer compressible and resilient layer secured thereto that is positioned to face the second surface of the work piece, the longitudinal axis of the backing roller tool assembly being positioned parallel to the reference plane;
• wherein at least one of the work piece driven by the sheet feeding assembly or the primary forming tool assembly is arranged to move relative to the other in directions parallel to the reference plane, and the primary forming tool assembly and the outer layer of the backing roller tool assembly are arranged to be in simultaneous contact with respective first and second opposed surfaces of the work piece generally opposite each other while the primary forming tool assembly exerts the forming force on the first surface of the work piece to form the work piece and the outer layer of the backing roller tool assembly provides a counter force on the second surface of the work piece as the work piece is being formed thereby supporting the work piece and resulting in a localized force on the work piece within a zone of contact between the primary forming tool assembly, the backing roller tool assembly and the work piece.

An apparatus for forming a work piece made from metal or plastic sheet material into a predetermined configuration, the work piece having first and second opposed parallel surfaces and defining a reference plane as an X-Y plane of an “X”, “Y”, “Z” three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, the X-Y plane being parallel to the surfaces of the work piece, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a backing roller tool assembly configured and arranged for rotating about an axis and having a compressible and resilient outer surface portion that faces the second surface of the work piece and being parallel to the X Y plane;
• b. a primary forming tool assembly positioned adjacent to and facing the first surface of the work piece, the primary forming tool assembly being configured and arranged to move along the X-axis and to exert a forming force on the first surface of the work piece to form the work piece without perforating the work;
• and
• c. a sheet feeding assembly including a sheet fixture assembly having a rigid frame and a retainer configured and arranged for securely retaining the work piece therein,
• the sheet fixture assembly being configured and arranged to position and move the work piece relative to the primary forming tool assembly in a direction parallel to the X Y plane and to define an opening for access to the work piece by the primary forming tool assembly on the first surface of the work piece and by the-backing roller tool assembly on the second surface of the work piece,
• wherein the primary forming tool assembly and the backing roller tool assembly are positioned opposite each other and arranged for moving along the Z-axis so as to contact respective first and second surfaces of the work piece, such that the forming force exerted by the primary forming tool assembly on the first surface of the work piece is offset by a counter force provided on the second surface of the work piece by the backing roller tool assembly thereby to support locally the work piece while undergoing formation.

An apparatus for incrementally forming a work piece having first and second opposed surfaces positioned on an X-Y plane of an “X”, “Y”, “Z” three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, which comprises:

• a. a primary forming tool assembly arranged to be positioned adjacent to and facing the first surface of the work piece and arranged to move parallel to the X-Y plane and into and out of engagement with the work piece along the Z-axis so as to exert a forming force on the first surface of the work piece without perforating the work piece;
• b. a secondary forming tool assembly configured and arranged for rotating about an axis parallel to the X-Y plane, the secondary forming tool assembly having a compressible and resilient outer surface layer of material that is arranged to be positioned to face the second surface of the work piece and move into and out of engagement with the second surface of the work piece along the Z-axis;
• and
• c. a sheet feeding assembly configured and arranged to receive and move the work piece parallel to the X-Y plane,
• wherein the work piece driven by the sheet feeding assembly, the primary forming tool assembly and the secondary forming tool assembly are configured and arranged for independently moving in a predetermined sequence and pattern relative to each other on opposite sides of the work piece, the primary forming tool assembly and the work piece driven by the sheet feeding assembly being arranged to move relative to each other along the X, Y and Z axes such that the primary forming tool assembly is arranged to exert the forming force on the first surface of the work piece and the secondary forming tool assembly is arranged to provide a counter force against the second surface of the work piece thereby supporting the work piece and resulting in a localized force on the work piece within a zone of contact between the work piece, the primary forming tool assembly and the secondary tool assembly while the work piece is being formed.