Deformation machining combines two techniques

Deformation machining is a new hybrid process that combines two manufacturing techniques: thin-part machining and single-point incremental forming (SPIF). Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Northwestern University, and Clemson University have developed the process that allows the use of a 3-axis CNC machine to create part geometries that require a 5-axis machine. This technique has the potential to reduce the machining time and cost of producing impellers, which are milled on a 5-axis machine. Thin-part machining uses a special milling tool and machining strategy to create monolithic components with walls and floors that can be as thin as sheet metal SPIF is a forming operation that has been developed to manufacture sheet metal components without the expense of creating a die. The thin-wall machining progresses in layers from top to bottom and a wall is machined to its finished dimension at each step, enabling wall stiffness to be maintained during machining.