Making Light Work of Metal Bending: Laser Forming in Rapid Prototyping

Lasers can be used to bend 2D metal sheets into complex 3D objects in a process called 'laser forming.' Laser forming bends metal sheets by locally heating the sheets to generate plastic strains and is an established metal bending technology in the shipbuilding industry. Recent studies have investigated the laser forming of thin metal parts as a complementary rapid prototyping technology to metal 3D printing. This review discusses the laser forming process, beginning with the mechanisms before covering various design considerations. Laser forming for the rapid manufacturing of metal parts is then reviewed, including the recent advances in process planning, before highlighting promising future research directions.