Sheet Metal

• Sheetmetal=0.4(1/64) to 6mm(1/4in) thick

• Plate stock> 6mmthick
• Generally two types of operations are
performed- forming and cutting.
• Operations usually performed as cold working
 Sheet and Plate Metal Products

• Sheet and plate metal parts for consumer and

industrial products such as
• Automobiles and trucks
• Airplanes
• Railway cars and locomotives
• Farm and construction equipment
• Office furniture
• Computers and office equipment
 Advantages of Sheet Metal Parts
• High strength
• Good dimensional accuracy
• Good surface finish
• Relatively low cost
• Economical mass production for large
quantities
 Basic Types of Sheet Metal
Processes
• Cutting:
• Shearing to separate large sheets
• Blanking to cut part perimeters out of sheet metal
• Punching to make holes in sheet metal
• Bending:
• Straining sheet around a straight axis
• Drawing:
• Forming of sheet into convex or concave shapes
 Shearing
• Shearing is defined as separating material into
two parts. It utilizes shearing force to cut
sheet metal.
 Blanking
• A piece of sheet metal is removed from a
larger piece of stock. This removed piece is
not scrap, it is the useful part.
 Fine Blanking
A second force is applied underneath the sheet,
directly opposite the punch, by a "cushion". This
technique produces a part with better flatness and
smoother edges.
Punching
 Piercing
• The typical punching operation, in which a
cylindrical punch pierces a hole into the sheet.
Example of Punching and Blanking
 Lancing
Creating a partial cut in the sheet, so that no material
is removed. The material is left attached to be bent
and form a shape, such as a tab, vent, or louver.
 Notching
• Punching the edge of a sheet, forming a notch
in the shape of a portion of the punch.
 Perforating
• Punching a close arrangement of a large
number of holes in a single operation.
 Nibbling
• Punching a series of small overlapping slits or
holes along a path to cut-out a larger
contoured shape.
 Shaving
• Shearing away minimal material from the
edges of a feature or part, using a small die
clearance. Used to improve accuracy or finish.
Tolerances of ±0.025 mm are possible.
 Cut off
• Cutoff - Separating a part from the remaining
sheet, without producing any scrap.
 STAGES IN SHEARING ACTION

1.Plastic Deformation
2.Fracture
3.Shear
Principle of Metal Cutting
Principle of Metal Cutting
Clearance
Numerical
Press Working Terminology
 Compound die
In these dies, two or more operations may be
performed at one station. Such dies are
considered as cutting tools since, only cutting
operations are carried out.
 Combination die
In this die also , more than one operation may be performed at one
station. It is different from compound die in that in this die, a cutting
operation is combined with a bending or drawing operation, due to that it
is called combination die.
 Progressive Die
• A progressive has a series of operations. At each station , an
operation is performed on a work piece during a stroke of the
press.
 Deep Drawing
• Deep drawing is a metal forming process in which
sheet metal is stretched into the desired shape. A
tool pushes downward on the sheet metal, forcing it
into a die cavity in the shape of the desired part.
In deep drawing, as a first step, a cup is produced from the flat blank. This cup can
then be further processed, for example by an additional drawing, reverse drawing,
ironing or extrusion process.
In all deep drawing processes, the pressing force is applied over the draw punch
onto the bottom surface of the drawn part.
It is further transferred from there to the perimeter in the deformation zone,
between the die and the blank holder.
• Deep drawing with rigid tooling, involving
draw punches, a blank holder and a female
die. The blank is generally pulled over the
draw punch into the die, the blank holder
prevents any wrinkling taking place in the
flange.
 Calculation of the blank size in deep drawing

• In order to calculate the blank diameter, volume constancy in

metal forming is used. Hence, the entire ax-symmetric part is
divide into various individual ax symmetric components
 Ironing
Makes wall thickness of cylindrical cup more uniform
Examples: beverage cans and artillery shells

Ironing to achieve a more uniform wall thickness in a drawn cup:

(1) start of process; (2) during process
Note thinning and elongation of walls
 Bending
• Bending is a manufacturing process by which sheet metal can
be deformed by plastically deforming the material and
changing its shape. The material subjected to stresses beyond
its yielding and below its ultimate tensile strength.
Bending
Bending Operation