Deep drawing technology is used for sheet metal and various plastics. The process of deep drawing is equally suitable for industrial small-series and mass production. The technology features a tensile compression forming process forming an open-top metallic hollow body.

One of the critical deep draw technology products is the metal used. Stainless steel is used to produce strong, corrosion-resistant parts for various use cases. Besides, nickel is a popular material, as it is ductile and ultra corrosion-resistant, hence no compromising of strength. However, 316 stainless steel is the best choice for applications that require severe draws.

Stainless Steel For Deep Drawing

We have seen that stainless steel is a popular choice when it comes to deep draw technology products. The process of deep drawing using stainless steel involves applying pressure to stretch a flat piece of material over a form in a die. Therefore, depending on the draw’s depth and the width, some parts must go through a series of stretches to meet the desired specifications.

Although stainless steel makes a great choice of deep drawing tools, it requires special handling during deep drawing. For beginners, stainless steel work hardens faster compared to carbon steel. Therefore, stainless steel requires nearly twice the pressure to be stretched and formed. Note that it is essential to tailor the force to material type to prevent breakage or galling.

The stainless steel chromium oxide surface film is used for preventing corrosion. The chromium oxide is used for intensifying friction during the deep draw forming, hence tooling must be coated and lubricated to minimize the cost of wear and tear. Finally, the speed of deep drawing stainless steel should be optimized to account for the high friction.

What Are The Advantages Of Deep Drawing?

Different approaches can be used for metal fabrication. However, deep drawing technology offers a host of advantages. Here are some of the expected benefits of deep drawing technology

● Speed

There is no other process that can match a punch press’s speed that moves up and down. Thus, deep drawing is regarded as the most efficient process if you are looking for many parts making.

● Eliminates Assembly Steps

Another massive advantage of using deep drawing is that the process produces shapes with closed ends. This avoids the need for cutting and welding of multiple pieces. Therefore, deep drawing is a practical and straightforward approach.

● Seamless Drawing Process

Deep drawing does not involve joinery. Therefore, the deep-drawn patterns will not show any tube shape neither will you notice joins. That makes the technology ideal for anything that should be water or gas-tight.

● Ensures High Accuracy

The parts coming off the forming press are extremely repeatable. Therefore, assuming that the tooling was made correctly, they should conform very near to the drawing. This makes the technology ideal for processes requiring a high level of accuracy.

How Does Deep Drawing Of Sheet Metal Work?

The automatically controlled deep drawing of sheet metal is done on the forming press. The forming press features the upper and lower tool. Besides, the forming press features an insertable die and has a punch that surrounds the blank holder on the upper side. The empty holder is positioned just far enough from the edge of the die such that the punch will not cause wrinkles or creasing.

Therefore, the sheet metal forming involves placing a blank sheet on the die so that the sheet metal holders fix it. The blank holder then moves downwards, and it is pressed onto the die basement using pressing force.

Conclusion

Deep drawing is just one of the technologies that can be used to draw on metal sheets. However, the tooling is costly, and the setup can be time-consuming, making it more suited to the high volumes and the long runs. There are more than offset by the resulting part implication and strength and performance benefits in some cases.