MATERIALS FOR

SHEET METAL
WORKING

SHEET METAL-INTRODUCTION

Sheet metal is metal formed by an industrial

process into thin, flat pieces.
It is one of the fundamental forms used
in metalworking and it can be cut and bent into a
variety of shapes. Countless everyday objects are
constructed with sheet metal. Thicknesses can
vary significantly; extremely thin thicknesses are
considered foil or leaf, and pieces thicker than
6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate.

The thickness of sheet metal is commonly

specified by a traditional, non-linear measure
known as its gauge.
There are many different metals that can be
made into sheet metal, such
asaluminum,brass,copper,steel,tin,,nickel
andtitanium. For decorative uses, important
sheet metals includesilver,gold, andplatinum.
Sheet metal is used for car bodies, airplane
wings, medical tables, roofs for buildings
(architecture) and many other applications.

STAINLESS STEEL

1. Grade 304 is the most common of the three

grades. It offers good corrosion resistance while
maintainingformability andweldability. Grade 303
is not available in sheet form.
2. Grade 316 possesses more corrosion resistance
and strength at elevated temperatures than 304. It
is commonly used forpumps,valves, chemical
equipment, and marine applications. A
3. Grade 410 is aheat treatable stainless steel, but
it has a lower corrosion resistance than the other
grades. It is commonly used incutlery . The only
available finish is dull.

ALUMINIUM

Aluminum is also a popular metal used in sheet

metal due to its flexibility, wide range of
options, cost effectiveness, and other properties.
The four most commonaluminium grades
available as sheet metal are 1100-H14, 3003H14, 5052-H32, and 6061-T6.
1. Grade 1100-H14 is commercially pure
aluminium, highly chemical and weather
resistant. It is ductile enough fordeep drawing
and weldable, but has low strength. It is
commonly used in chemical processing
equipment, light reflectors, andjewelry.

SHEET METAL

2. Grade 3003-H14 is stronger than 1100, while

maintaining the same formability and low cost. It is
corrosion resistant . It is often used
in stampings, spun and mail boxes, cabinets, tanks,
and fan blades.
3. Grade 5052-H32 is much stronger than 3003 while
still maintaining good formability. It maintains high
corrosion resistance. Common applications include
electronic chassis, tanks, and pressure vessels.
4. Grade 6061-T6 is a common heat-treated structural
alloy. It is corrosion resistant, and stronger than 5052,
but not as formable. It loses some of its strength when
welded. It is used in modern aircraft structures.

TOOL
MATERIALS

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED
BEFORE SELECTING THE TOOL

Stresses on tools
Economic Efficiency
Availability

DESIRED PROPERTIES OF THE TOOL

High Hardness
High Compression Strength
Adequate Impact Strength
High Wear Resistance

The most cheap, easily available and having all the

desired properties is STEEL.

TOOL STEELS

Cold work Tool steels

Hot work Tool Steels

Cold-work tool steels are preferred for tools

used to make work pieces without cutting
from ferrous and non-ferrous metals (e.g.
cutting, punching, drawing or spinning
tools).

Cold Work Tool Steels

LUBRICATION
IN SHEET METAL
WORKING

Types of lubrication
mechanism

Dry condition
Boundary lubrication
Mixed-film lubrication
Hydrodynamic
lubrication

NEED FOR LUBRICATION IN

SHEET METAL WORKING:
Material flow in the die cavity is influenced by frictional
conditions at the die/work piece interface.
Therefore, a good understanding of the parameters that
affect friction is essential and thus a good lubrication is
required for producing good-quality sheet metal
parts.
For proper heat dissipation and controlling excess
temperature.
Sheet metal parts produced to have good finish.
Effective lubrication leads to reduced loads on tooling
and workpiece.
Presence of lubricant film reduces amount of direct
surface contact between tooling and workpiece thus
reducing wear and increasing metal life.

FACTORS AFFECTING
LUBRICATION IN SHEET
METAL WORKING.

PRODUCTION CONDITIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Stroke rate
Ram speed
Humidity and Temperature
Machine Characteristics

LUBRICANT CHARACTERISTICS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Viscosity
Film thickness
Pressure stability
Temperature stability
Additives

 SHEET MATERIAL :
1.
2.
3.
4.

Flow Stress / UTS

Surface finish
Thermal properties
Geometry (thickness)

DIE CHARACTERISTICS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Material hardness
Wall surface finish
Thermal properties
Geometry (contact length and pressure)

 In selecting lubricants for

sheet metal forming process, the
following factors should be
considered :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Methods of lubricant application

Types of additives
Corrosion control
Cleanliness and removal methods
Type of forming process
(rolling,forging,drawing)
6. Hot working or cold working
7. Ease of application of lubricant
8. Cost

Types of lubricants:

Oils: Petroleum-based oils are widely used as lubricants for

light-duty stamping, blanking, and coining operations. The use
of oil can increase the production rate. Paraffinic oils and
naphthenic oils are examples of these lubricants.
Soluble Oils: Soluble oils contain emulsifiers that allow the
dilution of the oils into water. These oils are referred as
preformed emulsions. These oils are normally mixed with
water at a dilution ratio of 10 to 50%.
Semisynthetics: These lubricants are more easily mixed with
water than soluble oils, because they contain a smaller
amount of mineral oil, usually less than 30% of the total
concentrate volume.
Synthetics: Synthetic fluids are categorized by two types:
water based and hydrocarbon based. The color of this
lubricant normally is hazy or milky.
Dry-Film Lubricants: Dry-film lubricants are divided into
water-soluble and waterfree (hot melt) categories. Watersoluble dry-film lubricants are applied in amounts of 0.5 to 1.5

Application of Lubricants

The proper application of lubricants is important for good

lubricant performance and reduction of lubricant waste and
environmental hazards.
The most commonly used application methods are:

Drip Method: The simplest and the cheapest method to apply the
lubricant, by dripping it on the panel or sheet blank, but applying
the desirable amount of lubricant is very difficult .
Roll Coating: Lubricant applied on the blank moving between two
rollers under controlled pressure, allowing precise control of the
amount of lubricant applied.
Electro-Deposition: Lubricant deposited on the panel surface
using electric charge; used for high-speed applications without any
waste of lubricant, but requires high capital investment for small
stamping shops.
Airless Spraying: Applies precise amounts of lubricant to local
areas, with minimal waste of lubricant in this method, but does not
work with the high-viscosity lubricants.
Mops and Sponges: Low-cost method still used in a lot of small
stamping shops to apply lubricants on the panels, which can result
in excessive waste of lubricants, poor control of the amount of
lubricant, and sloppy work environment.

REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.

Deutsche Edelstahlwerke
Arval by Arcelor Mittal
Design Handbook-Rev3