University of Basrah

College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES (ME337), 3rd Year (2019-2020)
Lecturer: Dr. Rafid Jabbar Mohammed

3. Sheet Metal Drawing Operations

- It is used to make cup-shaped, box-shaped, or other complex-curved and
concave parts.
- Figure (3-65) explains this process.
- Common parts made by sheet metal drawing include beverage cans,
ammunition shells, sinks, cooking pots, and automobile body panels.

Figure (3-65): (a) drawing of a cup-shaped part: (1) start of operation, and (2)
near end of stroke; and (b) corresponding workpiece: (1) starting blank, and (2)
drawn part. c: clearance, Db: blank diameter, Dp: punch diameter, Rd: die
corner radius, Rp: punch corner radius, F: drawing force, Fh: holding force, v:
motion of punch
Chapter Three Metal Forming Processes

Mechanics of Sheet Metal Drawing:

- Sides of punch and die are separated by a clearance c. It is given as:

c = 1.1t t: stock thickness

- Deformation stages in deep drawing are illustrated in figure (3-66).

Figure (3-66) deformation stages of deep drawing

(1) Initial contact between punch and w.p.

(2) Bending: the punch proceeds to push into w.p.: the sheet is bent over the corner
of the punch and the corner of the die.
(3) Straightening: As the punch moves further down. This action occurs in the
metal that was previously bent over the die radius in order to be pulled into the
clearance to form the wall cylinder.
The metal in the outer portions of the blank is pulled or drawn toward the die
opening, so metal flow through a constricted space gives the drawing process
its name.
(4) Friction and Compression: it is occurred in the outer edge of blank (flange).
The holding force and friction conditions at two interfaces are determining
factors in success of this process.
As metal in the flange region is drawn toward the center, the outer perimeter
becomes smaller. Because of volume constancy, metal is squeezed and
becomes thicker as perimeter is reduced (wrinkling of rest blank flange).

P a g e | 119
Chapter Three Metal Forming Processes

If holding force is too small, wrinkling occurs. If it is too large, it prevents

metal flow properly toward die cavity resulting, resulting in stretching and
possible tearing in the w.p.
(5) Thinning: it is occurred in cylinder wall. As the metal is pulled over the die
opening edge, the metal deformation involves stretching and thinning of the
w.p.

Engineering Analysis of Sheet Metal Drawing:

Measures of Drawing:

- Drawing Ratio (DR): it is measure of the severity of a deep drawing

operation.
𝑫𝒃
𝑫𝑹 =
𝑫𝒑

Db: blank diameter

Dp: punch diameter
- The greater the ratio, the more severe the operation.
- The range of DR ≤ 2.
- Drawing Ratio depends on: (1) Rp, (2) Rd, (3) friction conditions, (4) draw
depth, (5) characteristics of sheet metal (e.g., ductility, strength properties).

- Reduction (r): another ratio to characterize the deep drawing operation.

𝑫𝒃 − 𝑫𝒑
𝒓=
𝑫𝒃
- The range of reduction r ≤ 0.5.

- Thickness to Blank Diameter Ratio (t/Db)

- It is desirable for t/Db to be greater than 1% (t/Db > 0.01).

- As t/Db decreases, tendency for wrinkling increases.

P a g e | 120
Chapter Three Metal Forming Processes

Sheet Metal Drawing Force (Fsmd ):

- The sheet metal drawing force required to perform a given operation can be
estimated roughly by the formula:

𝑭𝒔𝒎𝒅 = 𝝅𝑫𝒑 𝒕(𝑻𝑺)[𝑫𝑹 − 𝑪]

Fsmd: sheet metal drawing force (N), maximum force in operation

Dp: punch diameter (mm),
t: stock thickness (mm),
TS: tensile strength (MPa),
DR: drawing ratio,
C: correction factor to account for friction usually = 0.7.

Sheet Metal Holding Force (Fh ):

- It is important factor in sheet metal drawing operation.

- The holding pressure can be set at a value=0.015 Y (yield strength).
- The holding pressure is then multiplied by the blank starting area that is to be in
contact with the blankholder.
𝟐
𝑭𝒉 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏𝟓𝒀𝝅 {𝑫𝟐𝒃 − (𝑫𝒑 + 𝟐. 𝟐𝒕 + 𝟐𝑹𝒅 ) }

Fh: holding force (N),

Y: yield strength (MPa),
t: stock thickness (mm),
Rd: die corner radius (mm)

Blank Size Determination:

- The following is reasonable method for estimating the starting blank diameter in
a deep drawing to produce a round part (e.g., cylindrical cup and more complex
shapes so long as they are axisymmetric).
- By setting: volume of final product = starting blank volume
and solving for diameter Db.
- To facilitate the calculation, it is often assumed that wall thinning is neglected.

P a g e | 121
Chapter Three Metal Forming Processes

Sheet Metal Drawing Without a Blankholder:

- One of blankholder functions is to prohibit wrinkling of sheet flange while the
cup is being drawn.
- Tendency for wrinkling is reduced as t/Db increases.
- If t/Db ratio is large enough, sheet metal drawing can be accomplished without
using a blankholder as shown in figure (3-67).
- The limiting condition for sheet metal drawing without a blankholder is:

𝑫𝒃 − 𝑫𝑷 < 𝟓𝒕

Figure (3-67) sheet metal drawing without blankholder. The draw die must have
the shape of a funnel or cone to permit the sheet metal to be drawn properly
into the die cavity.

Example (24):
A sheet metal drawing operation is used to form a cylindrical cup with inside
diameter = 75mm and height = 50mm. The starting blank size = 138mm and stock
thickness = 2.4mm. Based on these data, (a) is the operation feasible?
(b) determine the sheet metal drawing force and holding force.
The sheet metal is low carbon steel having tensile strength = 300 MPa, and yield
strength = 175 MPa. Take the die corner radius = 6mm.

P a g e | 122
Chapter Three Metal Forming Processes

Solution:
(a) To assess feasibility, determining the drawing ratio DR, reduction r, and
thickness to blank diameter ratio are necessary:

Dp = 75mm, Db = 138mm
DR = Db / Dp = 138 / 75 = 1.84 < 2 Answer
r = (Db – Dp) / Db = (138-75)/138 = 0.457 < 0.5 Answer
t/Db = 2.4 / 138 = 0.0174 > 0.01 Answer

Thus the sheet metal drawing operation is feasible.

(b)
𝐹𝑠𝑚𝑑 = 𝜋𝐷𝑝 𝑡(𝑇𝑆)[𝐷𝑅 − 𝐶 ] = 𝜋(75)(2.4)(300)[1.84 − 0.7] = 𝟏𝟗𝟑. 𝟒𝑲𝑵 Answer
2
𝐹ℎ = 0.015𝑌𝜋 {𝐷𝑏2 − (𝐷𝑝 + 2.2𝑡 + 2𝑅𝑑 ) } =

= 0.015(175)𝜋{1382 − (75 + 2.2𝑥2.4 + 2𝑥6)2 } = 𝟖𝟔. 𝟖𝑲𝑵 Answer

Example (25):
A drawing operation is performed on 3 mm stock. The part is a cylindrical cup
with height = 50 mm and inside diameter = 70 mm. Assume the corner radius on
the punch is zero. (a) Find the required starting blank size Db. (b) Is the sheet metal
drawing operation feasible?

Solution:
(a) volume of final product = starting blank volume
volume of final product = cup wall volume + cup base volume
assume thickness is remain constant during drawing operation.
𝜋 𝜋
volume of final product = [762 − 702 ]50 + (702 )3 = 45945.8𝑚𝑚3
4 4
𝜋
starting blank volume = 𝐷2 (3) = 2
2.356𝐷𝑏 𝑚𝑚3
4 𝑏
∴ 45945.8 = 2.356𝐷𝑏2 ∴ 𝐷𝑏 = 𝟏𝟑𝟗. 𝟔𝒎𝒎 Answer

(b) To check feasibility, determining the drawing ratio DR, reduction r, and
thickness to blank diameter ratio are necessary:

Dp = 70mm, Db = 139.6mm
DR = Db / Dp = 139.6 / 70 = 1.994 < 2 Answer
r = (Db – Dp) / Db = (139.6-70)/139.6 = 0.498 < 0.5 Answer

P a g e | 123
Chapter Three Metal Forming Processes

t/Db = 3 / 139.6 = 0.0215 > 0.01 Answer

Thus the sheet metal drawing operation is feasible.

Example (26):

A cup is to be drawn in a deep drawing operation. The height of the cup is 75 mm

and its inside diameter = 100 mm. The sheet-metal thickness = 2 mm. If the blank
diameter = 225 mm. (a) does the operation seem feasible? (b) if the blank diameter
= 175 mm, does that blank diameter provide sufficient metal to draw a 75mm cup
height? is the operation feasible also? Assuming the corner radius on the punch has
a negligible effect on drawing operation.

Solution:
(a) Dp = 100mm, Db = 225mm
DR = Db / Dp = 225 / 100 = 2.25 > 2 (not in range) Answer
r = (Db – Dp) / Db = (225-100)/225 = 0.555 > 0.5 (not in range) Answer
t/Db = 2 / 225 = 0.00888 < 0.01 (not in range) Answer

Thus the sheet metal drawing operation is NOT feasible.

(b) We must calculate the cup height with blank diameter=175mm, if the cup
height equal to 75mm, then that blank diameter provide sufficient metal for
drawing process:

volume of final product = starting blank volume

volume of final product = cup wall volume + cup base volume
assume thickness is remain constant during drawing operation.
𝜋 𝜋
volume of final product = 4 [1042 − 1002 ]ℎ + 4 (1002 )2 = 640.9ℎ + 15707.9
𝜋
starting blank volume = 1752 (2) = 48105.6𝑚𝑚3
4
∴ 640.9ℎ + 15707.9 = 48105.6
∴ ℎ = 𝟓𝟎. 𝟓𝟓𝒎𝒎, it is less than 75mm

Dp = 100mm, Db = 175mm
DR = Db / Dp = 175 / 100 = 1.75 < 2 (in range) Answer
r = (Db – Dp) / Db = (175-100)/175 = 0.429 < 0.5 (in range) Answer
t/Db = 2 / 175 = 0.0114 > 0.01 (in range) Answer

Although the DR, r and t/Db are in the acceptable range but still the drawing
operation infeasible because of blank diameter 175mm doesn’t provide the
sufficient material for drawing operation since new height ≠ 75mm.
P a g e | 124