Roboforming

I hope people are reading this area of the forum, and let me appologize if the channel in this link is already featured somewhere on the site.

An extremely unique and interesting video on how one company is forming sheet metal without dedicated fixed tooling.

 

[Doggggboy]

Very cool.
And a staggering number of Kant-Twist clamps at around 14 minutes

 

[Susquatch]

I hope people are reading this area of the forum, and let me appologize if the channel in this link is already featured somewhere on the site.

No need to apologize. Duplication is a fact of life with so many members. Although my memory is crap, I don't recall seeing anything like that before.

 

[Larry_C9]

Wow, amazing

 

[Stuart Samuel]

I hope people are reading this area of the forum, and let me appologize if the channel in this link is already featured somewhere on the site.

An extremely unique and interesting video on how one company is forming sheet metal without dedicated fixed tooling.

Thanks for the reminder, I'd been meaning to watch that!

What I find crazy about this is the similarity to forming sheet metal over a stake. The slight offset between the two tools (hammer/mallet and stake) lets you isolate a small area, and easily move that, rather than fighting with the whole thing. And the work hardening of the surrounding metal gives you enough rigidity that you aren't just chasing a little wave of metal around and around forever.

Screenshot is from a video of Frank Miller, silversmith and teacher at the Rochester Institute for Technology back in the... 60's? raising a vessel. Hammer blow lands just past where the stake, inside, supports the sheet.

 

[cannuck]

Thanks for the reminder, I'd been meaning to watch that!

What I find crazy about this is the similarity to forming sheet metal over a stake. The slight offset between the two tools (hammer/mallet and stake) lets you isolate a small area, and easily move that, rather than fighting with the whole thing. And the work hardening of the surrounding metal gives you enough rigidity that you aren't just chasing a little wave of metal around and around forever.

Screenshot is from a video of Frank Miller, silversmith and teacher at the Rochester Institute for Technology back in the... 60's? raising a vessel. Hammer blow lands just past where the stake, inside, supports the sheet.

Similar concept applied with English wheel. tiny area being ormed at any one time, but huge overall change in the sheet.

My fondest recollection of sheet metal forming goes back to our days racing speedway bikes and flat track. When we managed to smash up a fuel tank from the inevitable offs there was an Englishman in town who was a panel beater. He would come to the shop with his spoons and shot bag and we would provide him with a sheet of 5000 series Aluminum and a case of beer, as well as our oxy-acetylene torch. At the end of the day, we had a beautiful gas tank you would swear came from a monster pieced of deep draw tooling and a case of empty beer bottles. Incredible talent, skills and tolerant liver.