Springback Prediction of Dieless Forming of AZM120 Sheet Metal Based on Constitutive Model

Springback control is a key issue of the sheet-metal-forming process. In this paper, the mechanism of sheet-metal-forming along the folding trajectory of the computer numerical control (CNC) four-side automatic panel bender was studied, based on the bend-forming springback compensation theory of the power function material model. Firstly, the mechanical property of AZM120 sheet metal standard samples was tested. Then, a theoretical model of springback compensation under plane strain conditions was built, based on the constitutive relationship of the elastic or the elastic-plastic power hardening material. In addition, a sheet-metal-forming trajectory model was designed for sheet metal bending using the vector method. Finally, a laser tracker was used to acquire the folding trajectory, and then the reliability of the trajectory model was verified. On this basis, the influences of geometric and process parameters, such as sheet thickness, forming angle, and bending radius in springback control, were studied according to the theoretical formula and verified by experiments. The proposed method is generally applicable to operation conditions where the bending radius ranges between 1.5 and 6.0 mm and plate thickness ranges from 0.8 to 2.5 mm, and the achieved overall accuracy was more than 89%.