Toolpath and Tool Design Innovations in Deformation Machining for Superior AA-7075 T6 Fins

Abstract

A hybrid manufacturing process, deformation machining (DM) combines subtractive manufacturing with incremental forming. Monolithic components with complex profiles are created through the hybridization of manufacturing technologies, which also reduces the wastage of raw materials. The properties of geometry and surface quality of the fin made from the aluminum alloy Al-7075 T6 using the DM process’s bending mode was examined in this research, as were the effects of various approaches, toolpath methods, and tool design. To achieve the desired shape for the machined fin, various combinations of arcuate and slanting fin toolpath techniques were explored utilizing both top-down and bottom-up methods. The bottom-up method and the arcuate toolpath strategy were used to investigate various tool profiles. Using the best combination of toolpath strategy and tool profile, named as the T3 tool profile, which has a 0.6 mm nose radius and a circular sector, bottom-to-top (BTT)technique, and arcuate toolpath method, components with better geometrical features and surface roughness (SR) were produced. The analysis of the forming force in the bending approach of the DM progression was further carried out using this optimal combination.