Modares Mechanical Engineering

Modares Mechanical Engineering

A Numerical-Comparative Study on Springback Reduction in Sheet Metal Bending: Low-Frequency vs. Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mahdi Jafari Vardanjani
Yaghoub Dadgar Asl
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical and Vocational University (TVU), Tehran, Iran
10.48311/mme.2026.118311.82911
Abstract
The springback phenomenon poses a significant challenge in the sheet metal bending process, adversely affecting the dimensional accuracy of the workpiece. This study presents a systematic comparison of the effectiveness of two modern techniques for springback reduction: low-frequency and ultrasonic vibration assistance, using the finite element method. The model was developed and validated against experimental data for three alloys: CK65, AA6061, and AA3105. The results demonstrated that both techniques effectively reduce springback compared to the conventional non-vibration base case. Quantitatively, low-frequency vibration alone achieved a significant 15% to 35% reduction in springback. However, ultrasonic vibration assistance, leveraging the acoustic softening mechanism, consistently outperformed low-frequency vibration, enhancing the springback reduction by an average of 54% to 117% compared to the low-frequency method. The performance gap between the two techniques widened for materials with higher yield strength. This research provides quantitative criteria for selecting the optimal vibration-assisted technique based on material type, required precision, and desired efficacy level
Keywords
Springback
Sheet Metal Bending
Ultrasonic Vibration
Low-Frequency Vibration
Finite Element Simulation
Subjects
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Modares Mechanical Engineering
Volume 26, Issue 3
March 2026
Pages 181-191