It will be shown how Incremental Forming can be used as a Rapid Proto-typing method with sheet metal. An example is given, in which the rapid proto-typed of a reflective surface for the headlight of a 2004 vehicle is made. This type of reflective surface provides the ultimate challenge to Incremental Forming because it requires the reproduction of surfaces which have complicated 4~(th) order polynomial shapes which must intersect seamlessly without causing any perturbation to the reflection of light in the cavity. The two critical parameters for a reflective surface are penetration, in candelas, and dispersion in percentage. In this case, the incrementally formed aluminum sheet, once aluminized, produces a light penetration that is better than the specification. This paper will describe the results.
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