Factors affecting stretching limits of Aluminum sheet

The purpose of the present paper is to study methods to improve the stretching limit of metal sheet. The factors affecting the stretching limit were sheet thickness, blank diameter, blank holding pressure, and forming rate. Punch radius, die radius, and clearance between a punch and a die were retained constant. Tested materials were softened and half hardened types of aluminum sheet. The effect of lubrication was also studied. Lubricants used were a press working oil and graphite. Stretching by two types of punch shape, a spherical head punch and a truncated cone one, was tried in order to research the effect of punch shape. The half hardened aluminium, which has a larger n-value, showed the larger stretching limit. The larger thickness gave rise to the larger stretching limit. Flow characteristic of materials was poorer in larger diameter of a blank, so its stretching limit was lower. A bit lower holding pressure, which allows drawing of materials to some extent, yielded larger stretching limit than rigid holding. The forming rate did not so much affect stretching limit. Concerning the effect of lubrication, applied position of lubricants was important.