SPRINGBACK PHENOMENON ANALYSIS IN SHEET METAL FORMING OF ALUMINUM 2024 USING RUBBER PRESS MACHINE IN THE AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

Springback, a critical issue in sheet metal forming, challenges precision in aerospace component manufacturing, particularly in the aircraft component manufacturing industry. This study investigates springback in the Rubber Press process using Aluminum 2024-T3 and 2024-T0 materials, with varying thicknesses (0.6–1.2 mm) and forming pressures (200–600 bar). A predictive model is developed by combining Taguchi’s experimental design with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) validation using AutoForm software. Key influencing factors, including material properties, thickness, and forming pressure, are analyzed to evaluate their effects on springback. Results show that higher pressure and increased thickness minimize springback, enhancing forming accuracy. The integration of regression and ANOVA provides statistical insights into optimizing forming parameters. The study contributes to improving production efficiency and quality, offering tailored strategies to address springback issues in aerospace manufacturing. Future work may explore the role of elastomer pad deformation in the Rubber Press process to optimize it further.