An incremental sheet forming system and method are configured to form a structure through an incremental sheet forming process. The incremental sheet forming system and method include a forming control unit that compensates for spring back of a structure to be formed through the incremental sheet forming process.

Flanges formed on sheet metal parts to increase the part stiffness or create mating surface for further assembly are created in an incremental sheet forming process using forming tool and supporting tool that move along a specified tool path so as to gradually deform a peripherally-clamped sheet metal work piece into the desired geometry. With two universal tools moving along the designed toolpath on the both sides of the part, the process is very flexible. Process time is can also be reduced by utilizing an accumulative double-sided incremental hole-flanging strategy, in which the flange is formed in only one step.

Novel systems and methods for an incremental forming process to manufacture a product are disclosed herein. The system and method generally involves continuously modifying the toolpath in real-time based upon the forming force of the forming tool compared to a predicted springback error established offline from a series of simplified simulations. The system and method disclosed herein are effective to form products with complex geometries and minimizes the costs and time requirements associated with prior art techniques.

An edge band fine trimming mechanism of an edge banding machine includes a fixed seat including a scraper installation groove extending vertically, a first feeler wheel assembly including a first feeler wheel vertically and rotatably disposed on the right side of the fixed seat, a second feeler wheel assembly including a second feeler wheel horizontally and rotatably disposed on the bottom side of the fixed seat, and a scraper assembly. The aforementioned scraper assembly is disposed on the fixed seat and includes a blade holder and a blade. The blade holder includes vertical and inclined sections connected with each other. The vertical section is disposed in the scraper installation groove in a vertically movable manner. The blade is disposed at the terminal end of the inclined section. The edge band fine trimming mechanism enables fast positional adjustment for the scraper and the associated feeler wheel.

An edge band fine trimming mechanism of an edge banding machine includes a fixed seat including a scraper installation groove extending vertically, a first feeler wheel assembly including a first feeler wheel vertically and rotatably disposed on the right side of the fixed seat, a second feeler wheel assembly including a second feeler wheel horizontally and rotatably disposed on the bottom side of the fixed seat, and a scraper assembly. The aforementioned scraper assembly is disposed on the fixed seat and includes a blade holder and a blade. The blade holder includes vertical and inclined sections connected with each other. The vertical section is disposed in the scraper installation groove in a vertically movable manner. The blade is disposed at the terminal end of the inclined section. The edge band fine trimming mechanism enables fast positional adjustment for the scraper and the associated feeler wheel.

Presented are metalworking systems for forming metallic workpieces, methods for making/operating such metalworking systems, and battery module cell tabs bent by a multistage cluster-and-bend press. A metalworking system includes a grouping tool and a contouring tool that both align adjacent a workpiece support structure, such as a base plate of a battery module housing buttressing a stack of battery pouch cells. The grouping tool, which may include a first reciprocating plunger or plunger head, presses together a stack of metallic workpieces to thereby form a workpiece set having a first bend profile and a first length. The contouring tool, which may include a second reciprocating plunger or a pair of plunger fingers mounted on the plunger head, is attached to the grouping tool and bends the workpiece set to a second bend profile, distinct from the first bend profile, and a second set length, shorter than the first set length.

A structured multi-phase composite which include a metal phase, and a low stiffness, high thermal conductivity phase or encapsulated phase change material, that are arranged to create a composite having high thermal conductivity, having reduced/controlled stiffness, and a low CTE to reduce thermal stresses in the composite when exposed to cyclic thermal loads. The structured multi-phase composite is useful for use in structures such as, but not limited to, high speed engine ducts, exhaust-impinged structures, heat exchangers, electrical boxes, heat sinks, and heat spreaders.

A structured multi-phase composite which include a metal phase, and a low stiffness, high thermal conductivity phase or encapsulated phase change material, that are arranged to create a composite having high thermal conductivity, having reduced/controlled stiffness, and a low CTE to reduce thermal stresses in the composite when exposed to cyclic thermal loads. The structured multi-phase composite is useful for use in structures such as, but not limited to, high speed engine ducts, exhaust-impinged structures, heat exchangers, electrical boxes, heat sinks, and heat spreaders.

An incremental forming tool of the present invention includes a holding portion attached to an incremental forming apparatus and a free curved surface part for pressing a metal plate. The free curved surface part is made of at least a hard metal base material and a surface of the free curved surface part is covered with a hard film. The surface of the hard film has an Rpk of 0.15 μm or less, the Rpk is defined by JIS B 0671 and is calculated from a material ratio curve of a roughness curve, and has an Ra of 0.2 μm or less, the Ra is defined by JIS B 0601 and is calculated from a roughness curve. Therefore, a molded product having a smooth worked surface with no roughness can be produced without adding any extra equipment for preventing adhesion.

A method and a system are disclosed for making an article of manufacture from a blank defining an internal opening. A stack of blanks are aligned and the internal openings of the blanks in the stack of blanks are machined by a rotary cutting tool to a finished dimension. The blanks are clamped together before machining in a numerically controlled machine tool. The blanks are subsequently formed individually in a sheet metal forming operation in which the inner perimeter of the internal openings is expanded as the blank is formed.