Patent ID: 8741079

Claim:
A process for forming a piece of sheet metal while passing an electrical direct current through at least part of the piece of sheet metal, the process comprising: providing a piece of sheet metal to be formed; providing a computer numerical controlled machine, the machine having a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate tipped tools and being operable to move at least one of the arcuate tipped tools a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction and producing a double side incremental deformation to the piece of sheet metal; providing a support structure dimensioned to rigidly hold at least part of the piece of sheet metal; attaching the piece of sheet metal to the support structure; providing an electric current source operable to pass electrical direct current through at least part of the piece of sheet metal; forming the sheet metal component with a plurality of double side incremental deformations using the pair of arcuate tipped tools; passing the electrical direct current through the at least one arcuate tipped tools into the piece of sheet metal locally during at least part of the time the piece of sheet metal is being formed by the pair arcuate tipped tools.