3d Printed Sheet Metal Forming

Fused deposition modeling 3d printing is an alternative tool making method for sheet metal forming with hydroforming or rubber pad press processes.

3d printed sheet metal forming. Tooling for sheet metal forming with machining or outsourcing can be a costly and lengthy process. I ended up breaking the process into two steps. Using 3d printed forms to bend sheet metal isn t exactly new. 3d printed sheet metal forming the general process is pretty simple with most of the complexity being in the cad package to get the geometry of the forming tools made properly.

It has been employed in aerospace production lines for many years to create various airframe and engine components. Sheet metal forming is a fundamental process in the metalworking that s generally used for low volume production applications. Fdm holds the possibility to manufacture tools including. Businesses have increasingly adopted 3d printing into their manufacturing processes.

Cincinnati also use pla for their forming tools because it is much more rigid than many of the other common materials used with standard fdm printers that we know and love. The overall setup for this part was a lower die which the sheet metal is forced around with a matching upper die. The automotive industry metal forms engine cradles suspension components radiator and instrument panel support beams and engine components. With advancements in materials science for in house stereolithography sla 3d printing you can reduce your tooling costs by 3d printing strong plastic tools in house.

3d metal forming is the global leader in metal forming of very large and complex double curved shapes for the aerospace architectural and energy markets. An expert in the field of metal forming cincinnati inc has tested their 3d printed tools up to 14ga steel and had success with 1000 bends. While many companies have used 3d printing also known as additive manufacturing for prototyping and concept modeling some may not be aware of the benefits of using. How 3d printing can improve sheet metal forming march 1 2015.