Abstract Scope |
3D printing has been used effectively for a variety of manufacturing tooling applications. For light gauge sheet metal forming, with its relatively low tooling forces, printed polymeric tools have been successfully demonstrated in several processes variations. The tools for these processes are traditional made from steel, which is substantially rigid under the forces applied in sheet forming. 3D printed polymer tools, however, exhibit significant deformation during the forming process. The deformation affects the final geometry of the formed parts as well as the life expectancy of the forming tool, and it must be accounted for in the tooling design. This presentation explores the findings of several efforts to better understand the locally anisotropic deformation of printed tooling, predict the acceptable ranges of load application to those tools, and demonstrate a predictive strategy to compensate for tool deflection during the tooling design process. |