A method for incrementally forming includes: preparing a tool T disposed on one side of a metal plate W, a fixing jig 1 to hold a periphery of the metal plate W, and a template P1 including a molded edge E that follows at least a part of a contour of a part to be processed F; arranging the template P1 on the other side of the metal plate W; holding the periphery of the metal plate W together with the template P1 by the fixing jig 1 to fix the metal plate W and the template P1; and moving the tool T while pressing the tool T against the metal plate W, to incrementally form the part to be processed F having a three-dimensional shape of the metal plate W. The method enables to form the part to be processed F in high precision with no use of a molding die and thus, is effective in bringing about reducing cost of equipment and manufacturing.

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.

The present disclosure provides a floating block of a hub shaping mold. The floating block can include: at least one inner support member having a first side and a second side opposite to each other, wherein the first side of the at least one inner support member can include a first arc surface, and at least one first bulge can be arranged on the first arc surface; at least one outer pressing member having a first side and a second side opposite to each other, wherein the first side of the at least one outer pressing member can include a second arc surface matched with the first arc surface, at least one second bulge can be arranged on the second arc surface, and the at least one first bulge and the at least one second bulge can be arranged in a staggered manner.

A curvature retaining device (1) includes two support points (25a) that can abut against one surface of a plate-shaped workpiece W, one or more pressing points (40a) that can abut against a position of the other surface of the plate-shaped workpiece (W) between the support points (25a), and forward/backward drive means (support unit (23) and pressing unit (33)) for moving at least either the support points (25a) or the pressing points (40a) forward to and backward from the other. Preferably, the two support points (25a) abut against the one surface of the plate-shaped workpiece (W) at a first distance (Ls), the two pressing points (40a) abut against the other surface of the plate-shaped workpiece (W) at second distance (Lp) shorter than the first distance (Ls), and a middle point of the first distance (Ls) and a middle point of the second distance (Lp) match with each other.

A shaping apparatus for shaping a workpiece includes a controlling module and a pressing module, a moving module, a sensing module and a shaping calculation module that are connected to the controlling module. The pressing module includes two pressing elements respectively applying load to a top/bottom surface of the workpiece. The moving module includes a moving platform moving the workpiece horizontally between a sensing zone and a processing zone. The sensing module performs a capturing process on the workpiece in the sensing zone to obtain a surface information. The shaping calculation module compares the surface information with an ideal shape data to calculate and get a shaping information. The moving platform moves the workpiece to the sensing zone. The sensing module performs a capturing process on the workpiece. The moving platform moves the workpiece to the processing zone. The pressing module performs a shaping treatment on the workpiece.

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.

A method for manufacturing a ring includes clamping a first region of a metal sheet against a mandrel, and, while the first region of the metal sheet is clamped against the mandrel, bending the metal sheet around the mandrel to join opposite end faces of the metal sheet and form the ring shaped to the mandrel. A system for manufacturing a ring from a metal sheet includes (a) a mandrel having a ring-shaped surface, (b) a clamp facing the ring-shaped surface and configured to clamp a first region of a metal sheet to the mandrel, and (c) a plurality of dies configured to bend the metal sheet around the mandrel, while the clamp clamps the first region to the mandrel, to join opposite end faces of the metal sheet and form a ring shaped to the ring-shaped surface.

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.

A tool and method for processing plate-shaped workpieces, such as metal sheets. An upper tool and a lower tool are moved toward one another with a workpiece arranged in between. The upper tool carries a processing tool on a main body opposite a clamping shank. The lower tool has a main body and bearing surface for the workpiece with an opening in the bearing surface. The processing tool of the upper tool has a bending edge and the main body of the lower tool has a counterpart bending edge which is positioned in the opening of the bearing surface. The bearing surface being displaceable relative to the counterpart bending edge such that the counterpart bending edge projects from the opening in the bearing surface.