Review on methodologies and techniques dedicated to improving the accuracy of incremental sheet forming

Pepelnjak, Tomaž (author), Scholz, Peter (author), Dix, Martin (author), Obrovnik, Jan (author), Sevšek, Luka (author)

Dimensional errors, uneven sheet thinning, high forming forces, and inadequate surface quality continue to limit the wider industrial use of incremental forming, particularly when geometrically complex parts must be produced reliably. A review of studies on incremental sheet forming shows that fewer than 21% address optimisation of the analysed parameters. These optimisations are spread across different forming strategies, materials, sheet thicknesses, objectives, and part geometries. However, multi-objective optimisation of technological parameters, and the influence of material and thickness, is even scarcer. This paper provides an overview of currently available optimisation approaches, their target applications, and the evaluation of improvements for commonly used incremental forming strategies. Robot-based incremental forming is also considered, as industrial robots offer high tool path flexibility and allow more adaptable process layouts. The multi-objective optimisation of incremental forming, combining part accuracy, thickness distribution, forming force, and surface quality, is therefore identified as a major research need. Several advanced approaches and their practical implementation aspects are presented comparatively. They enable systematic selection of optimisation strategies for research and industrial applications.

• Language: English
• Keywords: incremental forming, sheet metal, optimisation, process parameters, roughness, forming forces, part thickness, robot incremental forming
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 43 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 16, issue 16, art. 8010
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-186415
• UDC: 621.7.01
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app16168010
• COBISS.SI-ID: 289569795
• Publication date in RUL: 01.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied sciences
• Shortened title: Appl. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522979353

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: inkrementalno preoblikovanje, pločevina, optimizacija, procesni parametri, hrapavost, preoblikovalne sile, debelina izdelka, robotsko inkrementalno preoblikovanje

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0248
• Name: Inovativni izdelovalni sistemi in procesi