3. Metallurgical aspects

Metallurgical factors are far more than just chemical composition. They include the so-called process, i.e. the conditions under which the material is manufactured, such as the rate of reduction on rolling, the operating temperature, the nature of the heat-treatment atmosphere, the cooling rate, etc. A comprehensive review of forming sheets can be found in the article [B 7 520] Forming sheets, which is why process influences are examined more superficially here. Further details can be found in the "Metallic Materials" database, in particular in the article [M 600] Metallurgy and forming.

Apart from alloy composition, the formability of sheet metals and alloys is determined by five main factors:...