Finite element analysis and experimental investigation in incremental sheet metal forming of composite matrix of Grade-V titanium

Abstract

The single point incremental forming (SPIF) method is well-suited to meet the demands of the biomedical and aerospace sectors and a wide range of consumer preferences due to its notable attributes. The forming time and corrosion behaviour of the SPIF process using a composite matrix sheet of Ti-6Al-4 V were examined in this study. This paper also simulates a truncated conical, hemisphere, and hyperbolic geometry using finite element analysis and founds compressive residual stresses in a truncated conical shape. The effects of various process parameters, i.e. sheet thickness, tool diameter, spindle speed, step size, feed rate, and wall angle on these aspects were examined to optimize parameter levels to achieve the lowest forming time with the aid of the design of experiments (DOE) using Taguchi analysis. The tool diameter, sheet thickness, and incremental depth are the three most significant parameters that have the most effects on the forming time, according to the analysis’s results. The forming time is predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN). ANN anticipates the forming time with 98% accuracy. A salt spray tester was used in the present study for the observation of corrosion behaviour at different time intervals. It was found that there was no white rust or no red rust after multiple intervals. Based on the corrosion behaviour shown in this study, it can be suggested that composite matrix grade-V titanium sheet material is suitable for biomedical and aerospace applications.