Supporting toolpath generation for double sided incremental forming of polyhedron parts

Abstract. Double Sided Incremental Forming (DSIF) enhances formability and accuracy by using a dynamic supporting tool synchronized with the forming tool, eliminating the need for custom dies. Generating a toolpath for the supporting tool aimed at consistent support is challenging, particularly around sharp corners of a contour. This paper presents an algorithm for generating such supporting toolpath for DSIF of polyhedron parts. It calculates the toolpath points based on the forming toolpath, adding, moving and reordering path points to manage internal and external corners. This approach enables synchronized tool movement, improving surface quality and preventing tool collisions.