Sheet Metal Tooling: Selective review of Online Monitoring Trends

Sheet metal forming industry has evolved over a number of decades, shaping its way from craftsmanship to technology driven processes. Even after the development of non-conventional processes for sheet metal processing, stamping remains one of the most suitable method of converting components from sheet metal for large volumes. The ever-demanding requirements from customers and the challenges forced in the tooling are of increasing quality norms and that of reducing the cost of tool built up and its service. The stamping process deviations caused due to inherent material property variation and the tool elements wear pattern continues to be the concern. The stamping process understanding of these parameters has moved through stages of laboratory experimentation to numerical analysis. Last two decades, focus has shifted towards online measurement and correction by built in sensors to automate the analytical process, thereby reducing the dependency on individual's analytical skills. The paper aims at reviewing the journey of sheet metal tooling research, creating an interest and offering a natural flow of opportunities in the field.