Chapter 6: Tensile Testing for Determining Sheet Formability

Sheet metal forming operations consist of a large family of processes, ranging from simple bending to stamping and deep drawing of complex shapes. Because sheet forming operations are so diverse in type, extent, and rate, no single test provides an accurate indication of the formability of a material in all situations. However, as discussed in this chapter, the uniaxial tensile test is one of the most widely used tests for determining sheet metal formability. This chapter describes the effect of material properties and temperature on sheet metal formability. Information on the types of formability tests is also provided. The chapter discusses the processes involved in uniaxial and plane-strain tensile testing. Examples include the uniaxial tensile test and the plane-strain tensile test which are subsequently described.