SGER/GOALI/Collaborative Research: Deformation Machining - A New Hybrid Process

这个探索性研究（SGER）/学术界与工业界联系（GOALI）/合作研究项目的研究目标是验证一种新的混合制造工艺的可行性，该工艺有可能使用三轴数控机床生成复杂的三维薄壁零件。 新的混合工艺，它集成了加工和单点渐进成形到一个单一的数控机床设置，被称为变形加工。 将这些工艺结合起来，可以制造出目前无法实现的新零件几何形状，并允许使用3轴机床制造一些目前需要5轴机床的复杂零件。这种新工艺可以灵活快速地制造轻质结构部件。 该工艺的潜在应用范围涵盖从航空航天到汽车等行业。 航空航天应用包括舱壁、框架、翼梁、纵梁和翼肋等零件。 仅在航空航天工业，经常性的节省就将是巨大的。 节省来自三个方面：降低设备成本，减轻组件重量，提高零件精度。 这些节省是完全根据现有零件几何形状的复制来估计的。 然而，预计会产生更大的好处，因为设计师将获得构思新结构的能力，这些新结构只有利用变形加工的优点才是可行的。

The research objective of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER)/Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)/collaborative research project is to validate the feasibility of a novel hybrid manufacturing process which has the potential to generate complex three-dimensional thinsection parts using a three-axis CNC machine. The new hybrid process, which integrates machining and single point incremental forming into a single CNC machine tool setup, is called Deformation Machining. Combining these processes will enable new part geometries to be created that are not currently possible, and allow some complex parts now requiring a 5-axis machine tool to be fabricated using a 3-axis machine.This new process can enable the flexible and rapid fabrication of lightweight structural components. Potential applications of this process span industries from aerospace to automotive and beyond. Aerospace applications include parts such as bulkheads, frames, spars, stringers, and wingribs. In the aerospace industry alone recurring savings will be substantial. The savings come from three areas: reduced equipment costs, reduced component weight, and increased part accuracy. These savings have been estimated based purely on replication of existing part geometry. However, even greater benefit is expected to arise because designers will gain the ability to conceive new structures which only become feasible using the advantages of deformation machining.