What Is Involved in the Deep Drawn Manufacturing Process?

What is Deep Drawn Manufacturing?

Deep drawing, or simply drawing, is a widely known manufacturing process and is used extensively in the forming of sheet metal. It assists in creating items such as pots and pans for cooking, containers, and automobile parts like panels and gas tanks. The term—deep drawing— refers specifically to the depth of the item that is created, which is equal to or greater than its diameter.

The deep drawing process involves a single metal blank and forming it into a 3D round, square, or rectangular shape called a case or enclosure. Sometimes, the sheet metal pieces remain attached to a coil, letting them form effectively.  This is called a progressive die process. Although complex contours are possible, it becomes more difficult to manufacture as the intricacy increases.

The Deep Drawn Manufacturing Process

The deep drawing of sheet metal is performed with a punch and die. The punch is used to achieve the desired shape. The die cavity matches the punch; however, it is slightly wider, allowing for passage and clearance. Similar to sheet metal cutting, the clearance is the lateral distance between the die edge and punch edge.

The sheet metal, called a blank, is placed over the opening of the die, where a blank holder surrounding the punch applies pressure to the entire surface of the metal, except the area under the punch. With the blank flat against the die, the punch then moves towards it and makes contact. The punch forces the sheet metal into the die, forming its shape.

Each draw operation is a separate step, and with each step there is a reduction in diameter, increasing the height of the part. To complete the part, there may be several draws, or reductions, made to achieve the desired parameters.

In this process, there are several circumstances to consider when manufacturing an enclosure:

• Material type
• Thickness
• Corner radius
• Bottom radius
• Shape

Both mechanical and hydraulic presses are used in the deep draw manufacturing process. Precision punches and dies are tools usually made of steel and iron. However, materials for punches and dies can span from plastics to carbides. Deep drawn parts are usually created at speeds of 4″-12″ per second.

Watch a cylinder form from a progressive deep drawn metal stamping process:

Advantages of the Metal Drawing and Deep Drawn Stamping

Deep draw stamping is considered a viable solution for the production of parts because:

• Deep drawn parts create seamless shapes from a single piece of sheet metal
• You can attain a high volume due to the process’s rapid cycle times
• Deep drawing offers exact detailing and is highly accurate with its complex axisymmetric geometries
• The precision of this deep drawing process reduces technical labor and provides quicker time frames

Hudson Technologies’ Metal Manufacturing Capabilities

Hudson Technologies’ seamless cases are integral to a variety of industries, including:

• Aerospace
• Automation
• Commercial battery
• Defense & military
• Electrical
• Energy storage
• Medical
• Oil & gas
• Semiconductor

We are a leading U.S. manufacturer of deep drawn metal enclosures and stampings, including metal diaphragms, and are AS9100D certified. To find out more about our capabilities, contact us today.