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Deep Drawn Process: A Technical Dive into Precision Manufacturing

A highly specialized metal drawing process, deep drawing utilizes a punch and ring to transform a sheet metal blank into a shaped component through tensile and compressive force. Learn more about this method, additional forming techniques, and how finding an expert metal manufacturer can support your project.

How the Deep Drawn Process Works

After cleaning the blank metal sheet to eliminate any contaminants, this metal forming process begins with lubricating the sheet for friction reduction. The technique then draws the sheet over a punch on a mechanical press, causing the material to flow and stretch. Deep drawing deforms the metal until it achieves a workpiece in the necessary configuration and depth. Manufacturers will repeat the deep drawn method as needed until a part has taken the desired form.

Deep Drawn: Key Benefits and Considerations

Deep drawing rapidly produces large volumes of tight-tolerance parts in complex shapes, all without the need for assembly. As a highly accurate process, it generates strong, durable, repeatable components with minimal material waste.

Before proceeding with this process, however, you should first consider:

• Measurements. Precision is critical to all measurements related to the process. The shape and size of the die, for example, must be per spec as these factors impact deep drawn metals’ flow. It’s best to simplify conditions for making accurate components that match your intended design and dimensions.
• Material thickness. You’ll want to ensure that a component’s walls aren’t too thin, as that could reduce strength. That said, the walls of these products are typically thinner than their bases, but you can make any needed adjustments with post-process tooling.
• Spacing. Be aware of the spacing between the blank and the post. If they’re too close, this results in thinning and less precise parts.
• Draft and tapering. Be aware that the process does result in draft and tapering along a part’s top. Keep this in mind during part design and you can adjust for this eventuality.

Working with a manufacturer that has in-depth experience with the process will help ensure you achieve quality results.

Our Deep Drawn Materials and Capabilities

At ZERO Manufacturing, we specialize in quality metal manufacturing, with deep drawn as one of our core competencies. We’re a trusted premier metal supplier serving diverse industries like aerospace, electronics, industrial, logistics, medical, oil and gas, and telecommunications with quality materials and extensive forming services.

Materials

We work with flat materials like sheet metal to create products such as deep drawn containers. Our team typically uses Aluminum Association alloys with government designations for deep drawn products. However, as many materials are compatible with the process, we’re capable of drawing most materials by special order.

Modifications

Deep drawing often involves additional forming processes to complete components. Common examples include:

• Coining. With pressure and a closed die, coining uses compressive force to squeeze the metal material until it conforms to the die with the desired shape or surface features.
• Adding flanges, beads, and ribs. Incorporating these part features into a workpiece helps increase rigidity for added strength.
• Bulging. Utilizing a punch on a tube, cup, or shell, bulging expands a component’s walls either symmetrically or asymmetrically.
• Threading. Working with a wheel and arbor, die, or tap, this forming technique creates helical threads on a component.
• Hole punching. Using standard, piercing, or extruding punches, this process cuts shaped holes into a drawn metal component.
• Trimming. This cutting process removes scrap material from a part to further shape it.
• Notching. The notching process generates cuts in a component’s edge to facilitate part attachment, location, or clearance.
• Dimpling. Dimpling produces indents within a material to allow bolt or rivet heads to remain flush with the part surface when fully fastened.
• Ironing. While creating a smooth surface finish, ironing decreases shell wall thickness in a localized area of a workpiece.
• Marking. This process is useful for marking components with graphics as well as lettering or part numbers for identification purposes.
• Embossing. This technique generates either raised or recessed indentations in the desired design on a workpiece without greatly altering its thickness.

To best suit the unique needs of your application, in-house customization is available on all of ZERO Manufacturing’s deep drawn aluminum products.

Custom Deep Drawn Solutions From ZERO Manufacturing

With ZERO, the deep drawn process offers a superior solution for creating diverse and durable metal components with precision. Our commitment to quality is at the heart of everything we do. Our ISO 9001:2015-certified quality management system (QMS) ensures that we achieve all established quality objectives, delivering parts like deep drawn cans and containers that match your specifications and exceed your expectations. Contact us to learn more about our capabilities, or request a quote today.