Deep Drawing

Deep Drawing is a Sheet Metal Fabrication process in which a sheet metal blank is radially drawn into a forming die by the mechanical action of a punch. It is thus a shape transformation process with material retention. The process is considered "deep" drawing when the depth of the drawn part exceeds its diameter. This is achieved by redrawing the part through a series of dies. The flange region (sheet metal in the die shoulder area) experiences a radial drawing stress and a tangential compressive stress due to the material retention property. These compressive stressesesult in flange wrinkles (wrinkles of the first order). Wrinkles can be prevented by using a blank holder, the function of which is to facilitate controlled material flow into the die radius.

Deep drawing is one of the most widely used processes in sheet metal forming. It is used in a wide range of production processes. For example, it is used by the automotive industry to manufacture car parts; it is also used for making household items such as stainless steel kitchen sinks.