Method and apparatus for incremental forming

Abstract

In forming a secondary form portion having a three-dimensional shape to a part of a primary form portion having a two-dimensional curved plane, a work 240 having a curved plane corresponding to the shape of the primary form portion is prepared, and only the secondary form portion is created by incremental forming.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An incremental forming method for forming a product comprising a primary form portion having a cross-section with a two-dimensional curved plane and a secondary form portion having a three-dimensional shape formed to a part of the primary form portion, the incremental forming method comprising: 
 preparing a workpiece having a curved plane corresponding to the primary form portion; and    forming the secondary form portion having the three-dimensional shape to a part of the workpiece via incremental forming.    
     
     
         2 . The incremental forming method according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 during the incremental forming process for forming the secondary form portion, an incremental forming tool is moved along a path parallel to the curved plane of the primary form portion.    
     
     
         3 . An incremental forming apparatus comprising: 
 a table mounting a workpiece holder and a workpiece clamp for holding a periphery of a workpiece; and    an incremental forming tool having an axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the table;    wherein the workpiece holder and the workpiece clamp have curved surfaces corresponding to a curved surface of the workpiece.    
     
     
         4 . The incremental forming apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a forming jig having a shape corresponding only to a secondary form portion.