Design for Sheet Forming

Sheet-forming processes provide considerable geometric and material flexibility in meeting these requirements, and design of parts for sheet forming must take into account these benefits as well as the limitations of the processes. This article reviews the basic forming operations and their general geometric features. These operations include hole making, flanging, bead and rib forming, and stretching and drawing for shallow or deep recesses. The article illustrates the general approach to design for sheet forming and the considerations that must be made for material savings and manufacturing ease, in addition to part function. It concludes with information on reducing the amount of scrap in sheet-forming operations.