Hot double sided incremental forming of continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastics: Process analysis and system design

Abstract

Abstract. Interest in fiber reinforced thermoplastics (FRTP) is increasing due to their superior recyclability and processability over thermoset composites, but the need for part-specific tooling constrains their application in small-lot production. Incremental sheet forming (ISF) presents a flexible manufacturing alternative. However, existing ISF methods, predominantly developed for metals, need to be adapted to the specific process requirements of FRTP. Prior research into the ISF of FRTP has focused on single-point incremental forming (SPIF). To enable new processing strategies, this work presents the development of a robot-based hot double sided incremental forming (DSIF) setup for FRTP. A process analysis serves as the basis of the design and integration of the core system components. The setup shows great potential as a platform to explore a wide range of new ways to advance the ISF of FRTP.