Drawability is also influenced by the shape of the workpiece. A maximum drawability of 70% is for drawing a round cup.
Square and rectangular boxes, for example, seldom are drawn as severely.
Effect of Speed on Drawability. Drawability at any temperature varies with the speed of drawing, which ranges
from 0.6 to 405 mm/s (1 to 960 in./min). Large reductions (70%, for example) require slower speeds than do moderate
reductions (up to 55%).
Reductions up to about 55% can often be made on high-speed hydraulic or mechanical presses. Also, milder draws permit
lower forming temperatures, and costs can be reduced, because strip feeding, blanking, lubrication, trimming, and
cleaning can be simplified.
For most parts, however, depth of draw is not a primary consideration, and usually no trouble is experienced in drawing to
the depth required. More trouble is encountered in keeping the metal free from puckers in parts with rounded corners or
contours. Temperatures above those required for maximum drawability are often necessary to eliminate these puckers. On
unusual or difficult jobs, it may be necessary to vary the procedure to obtain minimum scrap.
Redrawing. The possibilities inherent in two-step draws are illustrated by the following parts: In the first operation, 610
mm (24 in.) blanks of 0.64 mm (0.025 in.) annealed sheet were drawn to a cup 200 mm (8 in.) in diameter by 400 mm (16
in.) in depth; they were redrawn to a cup 140 mm (5 in.) in diameter by 585 mm (23 in.) in depth. Starting with a
rectangular blank of 1.3 mm (0.051 in.) AZ31B-O, 455 × 485 mm (18 × 19 in.), a rectangular box 111 × 273 × 165 mm
(4 × 10 × 6 in.) in depth was drawn in the first operation. This box was then redrawn into a rectangular box 89 ×
254 × 171 mm (3 × 10 × 6 in.) in depth having 5.6 mm ( in.) corner radii.
Choice of die materials is chiefly influenced by the severity of the operation and the number of parts to be produced.
For most applications, unhardened low-carbon steel boiler plate or cast iron is satisfactory. For runs of 10,000 parts or
more, for maximum surface smoothness, or for close tolerances where no significant die wear can be allowed, hardened
tool steels are recommended. Tool steels W1 or O1 are satisfactory for extremely long runs (1 million parts). For the most
severe draws, however, the more abrasion-resistant tool steels, such as A2 or D2, will probably be more satisfactory and
economical. For room-temperature drawing, it is usually desirable for die steels to be heat treated to obtain near-
maximum hardness in service. However, for elevated-temperature drawing, the maximum temperature to which the dies
will be exposed in drawing must also be considered. In this situation, the dies must be tempered slightly above the
maximum service temperature, even though some hardness may be sacrificed.
Forming of Magnesium Alloys
Manual Spinning
Various conical and hemispherical shapes can be produced from magnesium alloys by manual spinning. Because tooling
is inexpensive, manual spinning of small quantities is often more economical than press forming. When press tooling
would be complex, manual spinning may be used for medium to large production quantities.
Equipment and tooling for manual spinning of magnesium alloys are essentially the same as those used for other
metals (see the article "Spinning" in this Volume), except that when magnesium alloys are to be heated, the mandrels
(spin blocks) should be made of metal, with provision for controlled heating of the work metal.
For spinning a few pieces, it is common practice to heat the blanks with a hand torch, using temperature-sensitive crayons
to indicate the temperature. For production spinning, however, the use of a thermostatically controlled burner on the lathe
is preferred.
Procedure. Annealed sheet is usually used in spinning. Manual spinning depends to a large extent on operator skill,
especially when spinning magnesium alloys, which are more temperature sensitive than most metals.