Metal Drawing

Metal Drawing Machine

Sample parts made by metal drawing

Metal drawing is a metal forming processing that stretches sheet metal stock, commonly referred to as a blank, around a plug. The edges of the metal blank are restrained by rings and the plug is drawn into a top die cavity to achieve the desired end shape. Metal drawing provides a low cost way to make thin-wall, relatively simple, 3D shapes in moderate to large quantity. Shapes must have draft to allow ejection from the tooling.

Some example of parts made by metal drawing include cups, pans, domes, etc. Metal drawing can form most ductile metals such as aluminum, copper, nickel, mild steel, stainless steel and magnesium. The tooling for metal drawing is made of steel. Cost reduction options include minimizing size, complexity and ratio of depth to width.

Metal Drawing Design Considerations

• Provide draft to allow ejection.
  
• Use rounded corners.
  
• Minimize ratio of depth to opening size.
• Use simple shapes