TAF PUBLISHING

Forming limit diagrams (FLDs) are constructed to describe the strain rates at which a highly localized zone of thinning or necking becomes visible on the surface of sheet metal. Austenitic Stainless Steel (ASS) 304 sheets are increasingly used for making different parts because of their high corrosion-resistivity, good appearance, and superior formability. However, the austenitic phase gets transformed into martensite during forming, revealing its highly unstable nature. This preliminary study investigates the formability and behavior of ASS 304 by plotting forming limit diagram, strain distribution, limiting dome height, and forming ratio. It is shown that enhancement of formability is largest on the biaxial side of the FLD because the fraction martensite transformed depends on the thickness strain. Future work on the formability of ASS 304 is also discussed.