ESAFORM ISF Benchmark 

Background: a study to highlight the need for multi-stage toolpath strategies and geometric compensation techniques to enhance ISF industrial applicability.

This study addressed challenges in geometrical accuracy when forming a relatively complex geometry by using ISF. It focused on overcoming multiple common issues of geometrical accuracy in ISF, particularly the tent effect and pillow effect. 

This collaborative study was led by KU Leuven while each participating research institution developed toolpath designs and manufactured the benchmark ISF part with the same geometry and same material to compare experimental outputs by employing various machine setups and forming strategies in ISF. The study led to the development of ISF Database Plateform with uniform data exchange formats, measurement guidelines, and standardised nomenclature in ISF, fostering efficient future collaborations.

The University of Sheffield developed two-stage toolpath strategies using Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) to effectively reduce geometrical inaccuracies in the critical zones as well as reduce the overall maximum and minimum deviations across the ISF part in comparison with the CAD design. Some details of our results are highlighted in the daigrams below.