Vibratory incremental sheet forming tool

Abstract

An incremental sheet forming tool. The tool includes: a tool body; a tool head, rigidly attached to the body and having a punch; a housing provided in the body; an actuator, located in the housing and capable of producing a vibration in a first direction which can propagate to the punch); and at least one element for transforming the first direction of the vibration into a second direction of the vibration, as it is propagating to the punch.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An incremental sheet forming tool, which comprises:
 a tool body;   a tool head, integral with the body and comprising a punch;   a housing formed inside the body;   an actuator, located in the housing and capable of producing a vibration in a first direction that can be propagated to the punch; and   at least one element configured to transform the first direction of vibration into a second direction of vibration, during propagation of the vibration to the punch.   
     
     
         2 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one element comprises at least one portion which is non-axisymmetrical with respect to a main axis of said tool. 
     
     
         3 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 1 , the at least one element is arranged so that a unidirectional vibration parallel to a main axis of said tool and produced by the actuator causes the punch to vibrate in at least one direction orthogonal to the main axis. 
     
     
         4 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 2 , wherein the housing is offset with respect to said main axis of said tool, constituting at least partially said non-axisymmetrical portion. 
     
     
         5 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 2 , wherein an axis of fixing the actuator inside the housing is offset with respect to the main axis of said tool, constituting at least partially said non-axisymmetrical portion. 
     
     
         6 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 2 , wherein the actuator is installed inside the body in a substantially offset manner with respect to a main axis of the body, constituting at least partially said non-axisymmetrical portion. 
     
     
         7 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 2 , wherein the body comprises an addition of material non-axisymmetrical with respect to a main axis of the body, said addition constituting at least partially said non-axisymmetrical portion. 
     
     
         8 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 2 , wherein the body comprises at least one recess-which is non-axisymmetrical with respect to a main axis of the body, said at least one recess being provided inside the body and constituting at least partially said non-axisymmetrical portion. 
     
     
         9 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one recess comprises at least one hole-formed within the body and forming access to the housing from an outside of the body. 
     
     
         10 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool also comprises one or more shims-installed within the housing so as to exert a mechanical preloading stress on the actuator. 
     
     
         11 . The incremental sheet forming tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the punch is capable of vibrating in at least one resonance mode in response to a vibration generated by the actuator along a main axis, and wherein the tool has at least one resonance frequency for a vibration mode for a transfer function defined by a ratio between an amplitude of the vibration of the punch according to the vibration mode and an amplitude of the vibration of the actuator parallel to the main axis, said resonance frequency being between 5 kHz and 30 kHz. 
     
     
         12 . The incremental sheet forming according to  claim 11 , wherein the vibration mode comprises at least one of:
 a vibration parallel to the main axis,   a vibration orthogonal to the main axis and parallel to a direction of misalignment of a non-axisymmetric portion of said tool,   a vibration orthogonal to the main axis and the direction of misalignment of a non-axisymmetric portion of said tool, or a combination thereof.