Bending Titanium Sheets with 3D-Printed PETG Tools

Abstract

3D printing is one of the contemporary technologies that can be used effectively to produce forming tools. Punch- rotary rocker arrangements were printed from Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) filament, and were used to perform bending process for sheets of Titanium Grade2 (TiG2). Four variables, each of which has four levels were investigated numerically by means of DEFORM 2D software to find out their effect on springback angle. Wall thickness (4, 6, 8mm, and solid 100% infill), rocker inner radius (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5mm), punch radius (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5mm), and plate thickness (0.5, 0.8, 1, 1.25mm). experimental work was also conducted to verify the numerical work. The results showed that increasing wall thickness decreases the resulting springback angle, and the deviation of spring back angle between the solid rocker and that of (6 and 8mm wall thickness) was 1.14% and 1.10% respectively. Also, it was found that increasing rocker inner radius, punch radius, and plate thickness decreases the spring back. For different rocker bending angle, "hook" phenomenon plays a major role in the resulting spring back value.