3. Metallurgical aspects

Metallurgical factors are far more than just chemical composition. They include what is known as the 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, and so on. A comprehensive review of forming plates can be found in the article [B 7 520] Forming plates, which is why process influences are examined more superficially here. Further details can be found in the treatise Metallic Materials, in particular in the article Metal forming.

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

• crystallography, which includes...