Additive manufacturing of a stretch forming die using 3D printing technology

Abstract

3D printing is a maturing technology, that can be used from fast prototyping to industrial scale. A key aspect of 3D printing is the ability to control the material density, thus it's hardness. This factor assures that 3D printing is not only economical competitive, but it also provides parts with improved mechanical properties. Furthermore, it is a good alternative for manufacturing stretch-forming dies. Implementing 3D printed dies offers an economical advantage, as cost for producing are a fraction of the cost of standard metal die, and the technology behind the process is simpler. Therefore, in this paper we have chosen to study stretch forming on a die that has components 3D printed from polylactic acid (PLA). The length and width of the punch is maintained constant while the radius varied from R180 ÷ R1080 [mm], with an increment of 180 [mm]. A total number of 6 punches were used in these experiments to stretch sheet metal stripes made of aluminium 2024-T0, a material specific for aircraft skin. In addition to the shape of the resulted part, in the present study other process parameters have been investigated (punch force, part radius and deviation from circularity).