Deep Drawing Tips

Deep drawing aluminum has come to receive a bad rap in the industry. It is universally known for its inability to stretch, its tendency to wrinkle and the overall abrasive nature. Although some of these statements are partially true, there are still many advantages to deep drawing aluminum.

To prevent frustration in the process of deep drawing with aluminum you need to become one with it and think like it. When it comes to aluminum it reacts entirely different than metal in a drawing or forming operation. The good news is that if you can draw with or form stainless steel you are prepared to work with high strength steels because they also have high elasticity similar to aluminum.

Advantages of Aluminum

• It is fully recyclable.
• It is rust proof.
• It has good dent resistance; ideal for outer body parts.
• It weighs one third of steel making it an ideal candidate for outer-space products that require certain strength-to-weight ratios.

Tips

Here are some general tips when forming aluminum.

• Aluminum has poor stretch distribution and elasticity. It is advised to limit extensive stretching in small areas.
• Successful aluminum stamping begins with a good product design. Because of its poor strain distribution characteristics, it must either be designed to stretch evenly or the geometry must be obtained by feeding the metal into the draw cavity.
• Part shapes can be created using three basic methods: stretching, drawing or a combination of both.
• You can obtain severe deep draws by forcing the metal to flow into the female draw cavity.

The key to deep drawing aluminum is to avoid stretching it. This can be done by using an acceptable draw ratio (the relationship between the draw punch diameter and the size of the starting blank) and using the proper lubricant and blank holder force.

For professional assistance and advice on deep drawing a variety of metals and alloys visit www.taurusstampings.com.