ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a critical review on formability and surface integrity in incremental sheet metal forming considering different process variants like warm forming, hot forming, and high-speed forming considering various tool–sheet interactions and different influencing factors with characterizations of deformed sheets for surface integrity. Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is a flexible dieless deformation process for low-quantity productions of sheet metal parts with improved formability. However, application of this process is limited by poor surface quality and higher forming force, especially for difficult-to-form sheet materials like titanium and magnesium alloy. Forming operations are carried out at elevated temperature to reduce the forming load in the ISF of hard-to-form sheet metals. In hot and warm forming of sheet metals, the surface finish of the deformed sheets reduces because of the frictional conditions at the tool–sheet interfaces. The use of suitable lubricant coatings on the sheet material and on the tool surface to be formed could decrease the forming load and enhance the surface quality of the incremental formed sheets at room temperature as well as under warm and hot working conditions.
