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Sheet Metal Forming

Introduction
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental
forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes.
Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material. Thicknesses can vary
significantly, although extremely thin thicknesses are considered foil or leaf, and pieces
thicker than 6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate.

Metal Forming Process

Forming can be defined as the process in which the desired size and shape of the object are
obtained through plastic deformation of material. The stresses induced during the process
are greater than yield strength but should be less than the fracture strength. Different types
of loading may be used depending on the process.

Tensile

Compressive

Shear

Bending

Classification of Metal Working Process

Metal working process may be classified as the ease with which metal may be formed into
useful shapes by-

Plastic deformation process

Metal removal process
a) PLASTIC DEFORMATION PROCESS
In this the volume and the mass of the metal are conserved and the metal is displaced from
one location to another.
b) METAL REMOVAL PROCESS
In this the material is removed from the stock in order to give it required shape.

Classification of Metal Forming Process

Metal forming process may be classified on the basis of type of forces applied to the work
piece as it is formed into direct shape.

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Direct compression type process

These categories are:
(e.g.-Forging, Rolling)
1) Direct – compression – type process

Indirect compression process
2) Indirect – compression processes
(e.g.-Extrusion, Wire Drawing)
3) Tension type processes

Tension type process
4) Bending processes
(e.g.-Stretch forming)
5) Shearing processes

Bending process

Shearing process

Sheet metal processing

The raw material for sheet metal manufacturing processes is the output of the rolling
process. Typically, sheets of metal are sold as flat, rectangular sheets of standard size. If the
sheets are thin and very long, they may be in the form of rolls. Therefore the first step in any
sheet metal process is to cut the correct shape and sized ‘blank’ from larger sheet.

Sheet metal forming processes

Sheet metal processes can be broken down into two major classifications and one
minor classification
• Shearing processes -- processes which apply shearing forces to cut, fracture, or
separate the material.
• Forming processes -- processes which cause the metal to undergo desired shape
changes without failure, excessive thinning, or cracking. This includes bending
and stretching.
• Finishing processes -- processes which are used to improve the final surface
characteristics.

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Shearing Process
1. Punching: shearing process using a die and punch where the interior portion of the
sheared sheet is to be discarded.
2. Blanking: shearing process using a die and punch where the exterior portion of the
shearing operation is to be discarded.
3. Perforating: punching a number of holes in a sheet
4. Parting: shearing the sheet into two or more pieces
5. Notching: removing pieces from the edges
6. Lancing: leaving a tab without removing any material

Fig. Shearing Operations: Punching, Blanking and Perforating

Forming Processes
• Bending: forming process causes the sheet metal to undergo the desired shape
change by bending without failure. Ref fig.1

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Fig.1 Various
Bending Operations

• Stretching: forming process causes the sheet metal to undergo the desired shape
change by stretching without failure. Ref fig.2

Fig.2 Schematic illustration of a stretch-forming process.

• Deep Drawing: forming process causes the sheet metal to undergo the desired
shape change by drawing without failure. Ref fig.3

Fig. 3 Schematic of the Drawing process.

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• Roll forming: Roll forming is a process by which a metal strip is progressively

bent as it passes through a series of forming rolls. Ref fig.4

Fig. 4 Eight-roll sequence for the roll forming of a box channel

• Punching or piercing : The shearing of the material when the metal inside the
contour is discarded. The punch A is piercing the hole for the washer.

• Blanking: The shearing of close contours, when the metal inside the contour is

the desired part .

• Notching: The punch removes material from the edge or corner of a strip or
blank or part.

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• Shearing: The separation of metal by the movement of two blades operated based
on shearing forces.

Dies and Punches

Simple- single operation with a single

stroke

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Compound- two operations with a single

stroke

Combination- two operations at same

station.

Progressive- two or more operations at

two or more stations with each press
stroke, creates what is called a strip
development Punches and dies are
designed so that successive stages in the
forming of the part are carried out in the
same die on each stroke of the press.
Progressive dies are also known as multi-
stage dies.

Limiting draw ratio (LDR)

Drawability is a ratio of the initial blank diameter (Do) to the diameter of the cup drawn
from the blank to punch diameter (DP)

Where η, is an efficiency term accounting for frictional losses. Normally the average
maximum reduction in deep drawing is ~ 50%.

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Forming limit criteria

Tensile test only provides ductility, work hardening, but it is in a uniaxial tension with
frictionless, which cannot truly represent material behaviours obtained from unequal
biaxial stretching occurring in sheet metal forming. Sheet metal formability tests are
designed to measure the ductility of a material under condition similar to those found in
sheet metal forming.

Defects in Forming

Cracks

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Edge Forming Strain on surface

• Radial cracks in the flanges and edge of the cup due to not sufficient ductility to
withstand large circumferential shrinking.
• Wrinkling of the flanges or the edges of the cup resulting from buckling of the
sheet (due to circumferential compressive stresses) solved by using sufficient hold-
down pressure to suppress the buckling.
• Surface blemishes due to large surface area. EX: orange peeling especially in large
grain sized metals because each grain tends to deform independently use finer
grained metals.
• Mechanical fibering has little effect on formability.
• Crystallographic fibering or preferred orientation may have a large effect. Ex:
when bend line is parallel to the rolling direction, or earing in deep drawn cup due
to anisotropic properties.

Simple Calculation Formulas:

Clearance in Sheet Metal Cutting
• Distance between the punch and die
• Typical values range between 4% and 8% of
stock thickness
– If too small, fracture lines pass each other,
causing double burnishing and larger force
– If too large, metal is pinched between cutting
edges and excessive burr results
For a round blank of diameter Db:

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Blanking punch diameter = Db - 2c

Blanking die diameter = Db
For a round hole of diameter Dh:
Hole punch diameter = Dh
Hole die diameter = Dh + 2c
• Recommended clearance can be calculated by: c = at; where c = clearance;
a = allowance; and t = stock thickness
• Allowance a is determined according to type of metal

Metal group a
1100S and 5052S aluminum alloys, all tempers 0.045
2024ST and 6061ST aluminum alloys; brass, soft cold
0.060
rolled steel, soft stainless steel
Cold rolled steel, half hard; stainless steel, half hard
0.075
and full hard

Cutting Forces
F=S*t*L; Where: S= Shear strength; t=thickness; L=length of
cutting edge; Important to determine the press capacity
(tonnage)If shear strength is not known cutting force can be
estimated as: F=0.7*TS*t*L Where TS =Ultimate tensile
strength
Stretching during Bending
• If bend radius is small relative to stock thickness, metal
tends to stretch during bending
• Important to estimate amount of stretching, so that final
part length = specified dimension
• Problem: to determine the length of neutral axis of the part before bending Where,
BA = bend allowance; A = bend angle; R= bend radius; t = stock thickness
and Kba is factor to estimate stretching

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Bending Force
Maximum bending force estimated as follows:
Where,
F = bending force
TS = tensile strength of sheet metal
w = part width in direction of bend axis
t = stock thickness
D = die opening dimension

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