LAUSR

Abstract Prediction on surface roughness in incremental sheet forming (ISF) is quite important for assuring the forming quality in the minimized forming cycle time. In the present work, the surface roughness of the ISF part is assumed related with the uneven thickness distribution, which is caused by the elastic deflection and plastic deformation. Analysis of the evolution of the surface roughness provides an insight in the forming mechanism and surface quality. Novel analytical models in predicting the surface roughness are developed based on the new assumption. A series of experiments for surface roughness of a conical part with varied process parameters for different materials have been conducted to validate the proposed models. The effects of friction mode, rotational tool speed and feed rate on surface roughness are also investigated by analyzing surface morphologies.