Abstract:
The current formability tests, which evaluate ability of sheet metals to be formed into useful components successfully, are reviewed critically. The handing index, the anisotropy index, and the Ohio State University Formability Test (OSUFT) index are identified as the three most important formability test results that could be used on a routine basis by industry for grading, selecting and sorting of incoming sheet metals for manufacturing of various components. A new computer based approach is proposed to identify the minimum formability requirement for any sheet metal component.