O (annealed)
Lowest strength and highest elongation; the default for deep draws, multi-stage redraws and spinning. The finished part gains strength from work hardening during drawing.
Forming guide
Aluminium Sheet and Circles for Deep Drawing
Deep drawing pulls a flat aluminium blank into a die with a punch to make a seamless cup, can, pot, housing or panel. Whether the part draws cleanly or splits depends as much on the sheet as on the tool: alloy, temper, grain size, anisotropy (earing) and surface all matter. This guide explains which aluminium grades and tempers draw best, the material properties to specify, starting-point tooling rules and how to troubleshoot common defects. Metline supplies deep-drawing quality aluminium sheet, coil and circles worldwide.
- Main alloys
- 1050, 1060, 1100, 3003, 3004, 5052, 5182
- Tempers
- O, H111, H12, H22, H24
- Thickness
- About 0.2 – 6 mm
- Forms
- Coil, sheet, circles (discs)
What happens to aluminium during deep drawing
In deep drawing the flange of the blank is pulled radially inwards over the die radius while being squeezed circumferentially. The cup wall carries the drawing force, so the part fails if the force needed to draw the flange exceeds what the wall near the punch radius can carry.
That balance explains what a good drawing sheet needs. It must be ductile enough for the flange to compress and flow, strain-harden gradually so the wall stays strong, and resist thinning through its thickness. These qualities are captured by elongation, the strain-hardening exponent (n-value) and the plastic strain ratio (r-value). Aluminium alloys have lower r-values than drawing-quality steel, which is why they draw slightly less deeply in a single operation and why tool design and lubrication matter more.
Aluminium is drawn because it gives light, corrosion-resistant, thermally conductive parts with an attractive surface that can be anodised, polished or coated. Cookware, lighting reflectors, cans and closures, aerosol and battery housings, appliance parts, automotive inner panels and pressure-vessel heads are all made this way.
Which aluminium alloys draw best?
| Alloy | Typical drawing tempers | Drawability | Typical parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1050 / 1060 / 1070 | O, H12, H22, H24 | Excellent; very soft and ductile | Lighting reflectors, lamp housings, cookware, vial seals, capacitor cans |
| 1100 / 1200 | O, H12, H14, H22 | Excellent, slightly stronger than 1050 | Cookware, kitchen utensils, chemical containers |
| 3003 / 3005 | O, H12, H14, H22, H24 | Very good, about 20 % stronger than 1xxx | Pots and pans, pressure cookers, heat-exchanger parts, battery cases |
| 3004 / 3104 | O, H22, H32; H19 for cans | Good; can-body stock is drawn and wall-ironed | Beverage can bodies, deep cookware, appliance parts |
| 3105 | O, H14, H16, H24 | Good | Closures and screw caps, packaging |
| 5052 | O, H32, H34 | Good in O temper; stronger and corrosion resistant | Electronics enclosures, marine and transport parts, pressure vessels |
| 5182 / 5754 | O, H111 | Good; may show stretcher-strain lines | Automotive inner panels, structural pressings, can ends |
| 8011 / 8006 | O, H14, H22, H24 | Very good in thin gauges | Food containers, lids, packaging |
Heat-treatable alloys such as 2024, 6061 and 6016 are formed in the O or T4 temper and aged after forming; 6016-T4 is common for automotive outer panels. High-strength aerospace alloys are generally stretch-formed or machined rather than deep drawn.
As a general rule, the softer and purer the alloy, the deeper it draws, but the weaker and easier to dent the finished part. 3003 is the usual compromise for cookware and general deep-drawn parts; 1050 and 1060 are chosen for maximum draw depth and for reflectors that will be brightened or anodised; 5052 and 5182 when the part needs strength after forming.
O, H2x or H1x: choosing the temper
H111 / H12
Slightly strain-hardened. Gives a little more strength in shallow and medium draws while keeping good formability.
H22 / H24
Strain-hardened then partially annealed. For the same strength, H2x has higher elongation than H1x, so it suits medium-depth draws where a firmer part is wanted, such as pot lids and trays.
H14 / H16 / H18
Harder tempers for shallow forming, embossing and blanking where draw depth is small and stiffness matters.
H19 can stock
Fully hard 3004/3104 for beverage cans, drawn and then wall-ironed; a specialised product with tightly controlled earing and surface.
Grain size
In O temper a fine, uniform grain is essential; coarse grain causes "orange peel" on drawn walls and can lead to splits. Specify a maximum grain size for visible parts.
Material properties to put on the order
| Property | Why it matters | Typical requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Alloy and temper | Sets strength and ductility | e.g. 3003-O, 1050-H24, 5052-O |
| Elongation | Indicates ductility; higher is better for deep draws | At or above the standard minimum, often higher by agreement |
| Earing | Uneven cup height around the rim caused by anisotropy; ears are trimmed off as scrap | Maximum earing %, measured with a standard cup test, often 2 – 4 % for drawing stock |
| Grain size | Coarse grain causes orange peel and splits | Maximum grain size or ASTM grain number for O temper |
| Thickness tolerance | Variation alters blank-holder pressure and clearance | Standard or tighter tolerance to EN 485-4 / ASTM B209 |
| Surface | Scratches and roll marks show on polished or anodised parts | Surface class, oil level, protective film |
| Flatness and burrs on circles | Burrs scratch tools and start cracks | Burr limits and flatness on sheared or punched circles |
Circles (discs) are blanked from sheet or coil and supplied ready for the press, which saves the drawer a blanking operation and the scrap handling. For circles, also specify diameter and tolerance, edge condition and whether the circles must be annealed after blanking. See aluminium circles and discs and the circle weight calculator.
Draw ratios and tooling starting points
The limiting drawing ratio (LDR) is the largest blank diameter that can be drawn into a cup of a given punch diameter in one operation. For common aluminium drawing alloys in O temper, single-draw ratios of roughly 1.8 – 2.0 are typical starting points, i.e. a first-draw diameter reduction of about 40 – 45 %. Redraws allow smaller reductions, typically 20 – 30 % and falling with each stage unless the part is annealed in between.
The blank diameter for a simple flat-bottomed cylindrical cup can be estimated from surface area: D ≈ √(d² + 4dh), where d is the cup diameter and h the height (ignoring the corner radius and trim allowance). For example, a 100 mm diameter, 60 mm deep cup needs a blank of about 184 mm, a ratio of 1.84, which is near the single-draw limit; a deeper cup would need a redraw.
| Tool parameter | Starting point for aluminium | Effect if wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Die (draw) radius | About 4 – 10 × sheet thickness | Too small: tearing at the die radius; too large: wrinkling |
| Punch radius | About 4 – 10 × sheet thickness | Too small: splitting at the cup bottom |
| Die clearance | Sheet thickness plus about 10 % per side | Too tight: ironing and galling; too loose: wall wrinkles |
| Blank-holder force | Just enough to suppress flange wrinkles | Too high: splits; too low: wrinkles |
| Lubrication | Drawing oil or compound suited to aluminium, applied evenly | Galling, scoring and pick-up on tools |
| Tool surface | Polished, hard-chromed or coated tools | Aluminium pick-up and surface scratches |
These are general starting points from forming practice; final values are set by tool trials for the specific alloy, temper, thickness and part.
Common deep drawing defects and their causes
| Defect | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Split at the punch radius | Draw ratio too high, punch radius too small, blank-holder force too high | Add a redraw, increase radius, reduce holder force, use softer temper |
| Flange wrinkles | Blank-holder force too low, die radius too large | Increase holder force, use draw beads, check clearance |
| Wall wrinkles | Excess clearance | Reduce clearance or add an ironing stage |
| Earing (uneven rim) | Anisotropy from rolling texture | Specify low-earing material, increase trim allowance |
| Orange peel | Coarse grain in O temper | Specify fine grain size |
| Galling and scoring | Poor lubrication, rough or soft tooling | Improve lubricant, polish or coat tools |
| Stretcher-strain (Lüders) lines | Al-Mg alloys (5182, 5754) in O temper | Use for hidden parts, or choose 6xxx T4 or a strain-hardened temper for visible surfaces |
| Cracks after storage | Residual stress in high-Mg alloys or hard tempers | Use lower-Mg alloy or stabilised temper; stress relieve where allowed |
Deep-drawn aluminium parts by industry
- Cookware and kitchenware: pots, pans, pressure cookers and lids from 1050, 1100, 3003 and 3004 circles
- Lighting: reflectors and lamp housings from high-purity 1050, 1060 and 1070 that will be brightened or anodised
- Packaging: beverage and food cans, aerosol cans, closures and food containers from 3004, 3104, 3105, 5182, 8011
- Batteries and electronics: cell cases, capacitor cans and enclosures from 1xxx, 3003 and 5052
- Automotive: inner panels, heat shields and structural pressings from 5182, 5754 and 6016
- Industrial: pressure-vessel heads, tank ends, filter housings and appliance parts from 3003, 5052 and 5083
For can and closure stock, see 3004 and 3104 can-body coil and 5182 can-end sheet; for automotive pressings, see 5182-O auto body sheet.
How to order deep-drawing aluminium
- Describe the partPart drawing or dimensions, number of draw stages, and whether the surface will be visible, polished, anodised or coated.
- Specify the materialAlloy, temper, thickness and tolerance, earing and grain-size limits, standard (ASTM B209, EN 485, JIS H4000).
- Choose the formCoil (width, ID/OD), cut sheet, or circles (diameter, tolerance, edge condition).
- Packing and documentsInterleaving or film for surface-critical parts, moisture-proof export packing, mill test certificate to EN 10204 3.1.
- Trial and approvalRun a press trial on samples before bulk orders, especially when changing alloy or supplier.
References and standards
- ASTM B209 – Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate
- EN 485-2 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys: sheet, strip and plate, mechanical properties
- EN 1669 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys: test methods, earing test for sheet and strip
- ASM Handbook, Volume 14B – Metalworking: Sheet Forming (forming of aluminium alloys)
- The Aluminum Association – Aluminum Standards and Data
Deep drawing aluminium (aluminum) sheet: FAQ
What is the best aluminium alloy for deep drawing?
For maximum draw depth, 1050, 1060 or 1100 in O temper. For a stronger part that still draws well, 3003-O or H22 is the most common choice. 5052-O and 5182-O are used where strength and corrosion resistance after forming matter.
What is earing in deep drawing?
Earing is the wavy, uneven rim of a drawn cup, caused by the sheet having different properties in different directions after rolling. It is measured by an earing test (for example EN 1669) and controlled by the rolling and annealing route; low-earing stock reduces trim scrap.
Why does my drawn aluminium part look like orange peel?
Orange peel is caused by coarse grains in annealed sheet, which deform unevenly and roughen the surface. Specify a fine grain size for O-temper material that will be visible, polished or anodised.
How deep can aluminum be drawn in one stage?
For common O-temper alloys a blank-to-punch diameter ratio of about 1.8 – 2.0 is a typical single-draw limit. Deeper parts are made in several redraw stages, sometimes with intermediate annealing.
Should I buy sheet or circles for deep drawing?
Circles save a blanking step and scrap handling, and they are usual for cookware and round parts. Coil or sheet suits high-speed lines with in-line blanking and non-round parts.
Can deep-drawn aluminium parts be anodised?
Yes. 1050, 1060 and 5005 anodise most evenly. Specify fine grain and a clean surface, because grain size and drawing marks show through the anodic film.
Sourcing aluminium for deep drawing?
Send the alloy, temper, thickness, sizes or circle diameters, quantities and destination. We will reply with availability, certification and a delivered price.
