Forming

There are 4 main types of forming these are Press forming Embossing Deep drawing Spinning Forming comes under processing metals in redistribution Redistribution – the process where materials are reshaped without loss of materials

Press Forming This is usually carried out with the materials at room temperature Typically done in combination with blanking in a stamping die. Press forming differs from bending because of more complex shapes and multi-axis forming on the various sheet steels. The process relies on the ductility of the material being pressed The materials used in this process are stainless steel, Aluminium, brass, cold rolled carbon steel, hot rolled carbon steel Examples are radiator panels, kitchen products – meat trays/cooker tops, car body panels

AdvantagesDisadvantage A more 3 D shape will greatly increased stiffness If the material isn’t ductile it would snap or crack during the process The materials structural strength increasesIf it cracks it has to be thrown away and have to be started again With the increase in stiffness when pressed means they can reduce the amount of necessary material Tooling and production costs are expensive.

Embossing This is similar to press forming. The main difference is that embossing is used to create decorative features with some quite intricate detail. materials used are aluminium, brass, cold rolled steel, copper, galvanized steel, high strength, low alloy, steel, hot rolled steel, steel and zinc Examples are jewellery, confectionary tins, appliance panels, building products, elevator panels, garage door panels, automotive trim and metal office furniture

AdvantagesDisadvantages Create decorative features with some quite intricate detail An expensive process unless it is being done on mass Can be used on a lot of different materials when creating a design No room for errors as it would be hard to rectify and this would be expensive Can work on 3 D shapes/objects

Deep Drawing Deep Drawing is characterized by a considerable amount of slip between the work material being formed and the active surface of the die. Forming operation in which a formed punch pushes against a flat sheet and forces it over a shaped die edge into the die cavity to take the shape of a recessed vessel. The outer edges of the sheet are normally restrained by a holder ring in order to prevent wrinkling of the side surfaces of the work piece. The materials used in this process usually are steel, aluminium, cooper, nickel You can also use materials such as magnesium, titanium and zinc but it is performed with great difficulty and wont always work. Examples are soft drink cans (coke cola), automotive fuel tanks, kitchen sinks

AdvantagesDisadvantages The ductility of the material allows material to be drawn out without fracturing Tooling and production costs are expensive. It is a quick processIf it fractures it has to be scrapped and started again It is a relatively expensive process

Spinning This is a traditional process used for forming 3 D hollow objects from flat materials, it involves a circular sheet of material The materials used are aluminium, brass, copper, mild steel and stainless steel This process is usually done using a machine called mandrel, it’s similar to a lathe Examples are saucepans, woks, rocket nose cones, cookware, gas cylinders, brass instrument, bells and public waste receptacles

AdvantagesDisadvantages Tooling and production costs are also comparatively low. if a crack forms or the object is dented, it must be scrapped. Spin forming is easily automated and an effective production method for prototypes as well as high production runs. Conventional spinning also wastes a considerably smaller amount of material than other methods Objects can be built using one piece of material to produce parts without seams. Without seams, a part can withstand higher internal or external pressure exerted on it. For example: scuba tanks, CO2 cartridges. Other methods of forming round metal parts include hydro forming, stamping and forging or casting. Hydro forming and stamping generally have a higher fixed cost, but a lower variable cost than metal spinning.