An approach to modelling the forming process of sheet metal-polymer composites

Polymer Injection Forming (PIF) and Polymer Injection-Compression Forming (PICF) are new manufacturing technologies for sheet metal-polymer macro-composites, which result from the combination of injection moulding and sheet metal forming. In these processes, a metal blank is formed inside an injection mould by using the pressure of the molten polymer that, after cooling, permanently bonds to the metal sheet creating a fully finished product in only one production step. This paper presents a calibrated multi-physics numerical model of the processes that proves to be suitable to investigate the mutual metal-polymer interactions and to provide a reliable tool in designing the process as well as its control.