Abstract
Metal spinning is a plastic forming process that forms sheet or tube metal fixed to a rotating mandrel by forcing roller tools. Products formed by metal spinning have been inherently limited to straight-axis and circular-sectional shapes. In this study, we succeeded to make curved-axis and non-axisymmetric shells by synchronizing the roller motion in the axial and radial direction with the rotation of the spindle axis, and without using forming dies. A numerically-controlled spinning machine moves the spherical head tool along the trajectory which is calculated from the desired shape considering contact with the tool. Curved-axis cones of various bending angles up to 60 deg. are experimentally formed from aluminum sheet.
