1060 Al Electric Hot Incremental Sheet Forming Process: Analysis of Dimensional Accuracy and Temperature

The sheet with 1060 Al often is used to fabricate aluminum parts at room temperature in the incremental sheet forming process due to the fact that the metal has a high ductility in the normal temperature. However, the material can cause a large quantity of springback for parts formed to influence dimensional accuracy. In this paper, the use of the electric hot incremental forming process (EHIF) can effectively improve the dimensional accuracy of parts compared to single-stage forming and double-stage forming at room temperature. The effect of main process parameters, such as tool diameter, feed rate, step size, and current, on temperature is studied in detail using the EHIF. Some target values, namely, the maximum temperature, the average temperature, and the maximum temperature difference, are measured with a cone using 1060 Al. Moreover, the response surface methodology and Box–Behnken design have been employed to analyze results in detail and to establish respectively corresponding models to predict target values. Finally, the evaluating model of temperature uniformity is proposed and verified according to the previous models.