| Process |
Characteristics |
| Roll
forming |
- long
parts with constant complex cross-sections;
- good
surface finish;
- high
production rates;
- high
tooling costs.
|
| Stretch forming |
- large
parts with shallow contours;
- suitable for low-quantity production;
- high
labor costs;
- tooling and equipment costs.
|
| Drawing |
- shallow or deep parts with relatively simple shapes;
- high
production rates;
- high
tooling and equipment costs.
|
| Stamping |
- includes a variety of operations, such as punching,
embossing, bending, flanging, and coining;
- simple
or complex shapes formed at high production rates;
- tooling and equipment costs can be high, but labor
cost is low.
|
| Rubber forming |
- drawing and embossing of simple or complex shapes;
- sheet
surface protected by rubber membranes;
- flexibility of operation;
- low
tooling costs.
|
| Spinning |
- small
or large axisymmetric parts;
- good
surface finish; low tooling costs, but labor costs can be
high unless operations are automated.
|
| Superplastic forming |
- complex shapes, fine detail and close tolerances;
- forming times are long, hence production rates are
low;
- parts
not suitable for high-temperature use.
|
| Peen
forming |
- shallow contours on large sheets;
- flexibility of operation;
- equipment costs can be high;
- process is also used for straightening parts.
|
| Explosive forming |
- very
large sheets with relatively complex shapes, although usually
axisymmetric;
- low
tooling costs, but high labor cost;
- suitable for low-quantity production;
- long
cycle times.
|
| Magnetic-pulse forming |
- shallow forming, bulging, and embossing operations
on relatively low-strength sheets;
- most
suitable for tubular shapes;
- high
production rates;
- requires special tooling.
|
