Single Point Incremental Forming: analysis of sustainability of the process through an experimental approach

In literature, manufacturing processes have been studied with different approaches, but a lack of knowledge on the analysis of the energy required is still present. The aim of this paper is to carry out energy analysis on Single Point Incremental Forming process. Accordingly, a wide experimental investigation was executed by taking into account different process parameters (i.e. tool depth step, punch velocity and product shape). The total energy consumption was monitored during all the experiments and properly weighted with respect to the deformation energy, required to execute the process. A sensitivity analysis was also carried out to highlight the conditions which allow to save energy reducing neither the process nor the product quality.