What is Deep Drawing?

Deep Draw forming with conventional tool and die technology is the conforming of sheet metal, commonly referred to as a blank, around a plug in either a hydraulic or mechanical press. The edges of the blank are restrained yet allowed to slide by a precise pressure between two tool surfaces; normally in a ring shape. One ring is the blank holder and the other is the forming die. The plug passes through the blank holder ring into the cavity of the die ring at the desired depth to achieve the end shape. The dimensions on the part are set based on the shape of the plug, the shape of the die, and how deep the part is drawn. Deep drawing is used for products that require their depth to be greater than their radius. These products need to be lighter, but extremely durable with great mechanical properties.

History of Deep Drawing

There is little information known on the true origin of deep drawing, but there is evidence that individuals and processes have helped it to become what it is today. The earliest instance of deep drawing is considered to date back to the mid 19^th century where Oberlin Smith, an inventor and industrialist, wrote a treatise on deep drawing in 1896 titled, “Press Working of Metals.” He mentions that the deep drawing process likely dates back 50 to 60 years, which would place its origin in the mid 1800s, or 19^th century.

Smith and Manville

Oberlin Smith and Eli Manville are two key figured who contributed to the development of the deep draw press as we know it today.

Inventor and Industrialist Oberlin Smith was born in 1840 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Smith started a small machine works and repair ship in Bridgeton, NJ with his cousin, John Burkett Webb. They began by making a variety of applications while simultaneously refitting or fixing broken machines and parts. While working on various machinery and equipment, Smith recognized that he could design a more efficient foot-operated press. This marked the beginning of his growing success. After Webb too a new direction to pursue a different career, Smith brought in his brother, and together they began manufacturing foot-operated presses for food canning companies.

Within three years, he had developed a new version of the press designed with belt-power operation. Together, they sold seventy-two machines, four different models of both foot-driven, and belt-driven, and in 1877, Ferracute Machine Company was born. Here, they manufactured many forms of machinery, including Smith’s own inventions, but their specialty was metalworking presses. Oberlin Smith was the Chief Engineer and and President of Ferracute, where he designed over 500 types and sizes of machines. He also received over 50 patents for his designs, and wrote his book, “Press Working of Metals.”

He founded his press, die, and machine shop, Ferracute Machine Company, in 1863, where many different metal parts were produced for many years. The company started out on three acres, where they produced pressed metal parts for a variety of industrial machines. 

There is also evidence that the deep drawing process has developed from the eyelet process, first introduced by Eli Manville in the mid-1800s. The eyelet process consists of using a blank, preferably out of brass, aluminum, or stainless steel, and pulling the blank through a die with a punch, to form the eyelet’s cylindrical shape. This is very similar to stamping, and deep drawing today. Trimming was often necessary to remove any material that wasn’t needed.

Manville started a manufacturing company with his brother, Frank, and named it Eli Melville Company. Here, they specialized in creating various brass products. When he was producing small brass eyelets, he recognized the need for improvement. The process was slow and needed to be sped up. Because of his need for speed, Manville introduced the first ever transfer presser, which was known at that time as the eyelet machine.

L&G Manufacturing

Between 1863 and 1870, two French immigrants, Charles Lalance and Florian Grosjean began producing porcelain-enamel-covered iron cookware and founded their company L&G Manufacturing near Brooklyn, New York. This was one of the first companies in the U.S. to manufacture these types of products in this way. L&G Manufacturing became well known for improving the process of tin stamping and making mess kids for the Spanish-American War. Unfortunately, their business closed in 1955 after WWII.

IDDRG and NADDRG

In Amsterdam in 1957, International Deep Drawing Research Group (IDDRG) was formed. Representatives from many countries including Belgium, Chile, France, Holland, Germany, England, and Sweden met to discuss a standard procedure for the Swift Cup, a standardized test to evaluate the characteristics and formability of material, specifically metal. The Swift Cup was named after Professor Swift, after he began looking into various tests for evaluating materials in cup drawing. However, he concluded that it was necessary to perform separate tests to learn more about the material characteristics involved with cup drawing. The Swift Cup test is accomplished by forming a cylindrical cup from a circular blank, while determining the LDR, or limiting draw ratio that the material can withstand before failure. Testing for deep drawing and stretch forming was continued through the 1950s. 

This group continued to meet throughout the year to discuss various metal forming variables, with emphasis on processes, materials, and tests. However, the ADDRG, or, American Deep Drawing Research Group was formed upon returning from the IDDRG.

In 1961, the ADDRG met for the first time, in Philadelphia to organize the USA Committee of the IDDRG. While the group has grown over the years, they continued to place technical emphasis on determining the relation of the r-value, (Lankford Coefficient, or the strain ratio) the n-value, (strain hardening exponent) and stretching, drawing, and the FLC (forming limit curve). Determining tests to better understand these parameters was the overarching goal. Over the next few years, the group continued to meet and discuss these variables and testing, while attending various meetings for the IDDRG. Overall, the group had become quite successful in resolving many of their questions and understanding the variables’ relationships with each other, with a great understanding of the overall deep draw process.

Fast forward to 2025, and this group is still meeting today. Now known as the North American Deep Drawing Research Group, meetings are hosted in the spring and fall of each year to discuss sheet metal formability.

Today, it’s used for much more than that. The deep draw press can assist in manufacturing domes, lids, vessels, containers, cups, pans, and much more. These products are used in many different industries like industrial equipment manufacturing, food manufacturing and processing, hospitality, architecture, aerospace and aviation, and automotive industries. 

The deep drawing process has grown to what it is today, a powerful tool and piece of machinery that many metal fabricators and manufacturers utilize. Because of multiple individuals and processes that have undergone technical and industrial adaptations and developments, deep drawing has evolved into a widely known process that the world needs. Today, the deep drawing process is an integral piece of the manufacturing industry, assisting with many projects in the supply chain for many industries throughout the world.