Ph.D. Dissertation in Production Engineering Explores Formability of Ductile Materials in Freeform Manufacturing
A Ph.D. dissertation at the College of Production and Metallurgy Engineering, University of Technology, examined the formability of ductile materials in freeform manufacturing using incremental sheet forming (ISF). The dissertation, titled:
“Investigation of Formability of Ductile Materials in Manufacturing a Free Form Shape Using Incremental Sheet Forming,”
was presented by Ph.D. candidate Marwa Kadhim Kati’a
The researcher explained that Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF), particularly Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF), is a technique in which a metal sheet is shaped into its final form through a series of small, incremental deformations.
The work is divided into four main parts:Material Comparison:The first part studies two ductile materials: Aluminum 1100 and Brass CuZn37, both formed into a truncated pyramid with variable wall angles under identical conditions. The results showed that Aluminum 1100 had a slightly higher formability than Brass CuZn37, although the differences were relatively minor.
Artificial Neural Network Modeling:The second part involved developing three Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models using Alyuda NeuroIntelligence software to predict key formability indicators (fracture depth, maximum wall angle, and minimum thickness before fracture) during the SPIF process. The proposed ANN model demonstrated high accuracy, with a correlation coefficient of 0.951 and an R² value of 0.889 for predicting fracture depth. Numerical Simulation:The third part involved a numerical simulation to evaluate the formability of the same truncated pyramid geometry. The results confirmed the simulation’s success in accurately modeling formability and predicting fracture points.
Fractographic Analysis:In the fourth part, a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to analyze the fracture surfaces of experimental samples through microscopic fracture analysis. Void shape and size, as well as Void Volume Fraction (VVF), were quantified to establish the relationship between formability and microstructure. The findings revealed that higher void volume and size on the fracture surface correlated with increased material formability. Input parameters were also analyzed for their influence on this relationship.
The dissertation committee included:Prof. Dr. Ali Abbar Khalif (Chair) – University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Ali Munther Mustafa – University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Jabbar Qasim Jabbar – University of Diyala, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhannad Mohammed Hussein – University of Technology, Asst. Prof. Dr. Jalil Jabbar Shakir – University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Mohsen Jabr Juwij – Al-Farahidi University (Advisor),and Asst. Prof. Dr. Adnan Ibrahim Mohammed – Presidency of the Republic (Advisor)
