An experimental procedure is outlined to examine the potential of thermoplastic sheets in draw forming. Experiments carried out on a variety of materials indicate that the following requirements must be fulfilled for a thermoplastic sheet to be cold formable: (1) The glass transition of polymer should be above ambient temperature and above the temperature of forming, (2) tensile elongation at break should equal or exceed 30%, (3) ratio of tensile to compressive yield stress should equal or exceed 1.6 and (4) sheet must not yield locally (neck) when strained in tension. An experimental method has been developed to determine the compressive, friction and bending forces which oppose the drawing force exerted by the punch. It is shown that the compressive force is, in most cases, largest. A stress analysis is carried out leading to an expression correlating the maximum depth of draw as a function of basic properties of sheets such as tensile strength (St*) and compressive yield stress (Sc). The effect of rolling on drawability is examined and interpreted in terms of the ratio St*/Sc. The cold formed items have a lower heat distortion temperature than their thermoformed counterparts.

The problems encountered with cold formed thermoplastic material, namely, low heat distortion temperature and stress and solvent crazing, can be overcome by using a laminate consisting of a reinforced thermosetting core sandwiched between two drawable face sheets. This process imposes a restriction on the material by the need for a curing cycle to transform the core into a hard, three dimensional network. To take full advantage of the very fast metal forming technique, the curing should be accomplished outside of the forming apparatus and without external restraint. In order to impart a practical shelf life to the laminate at room temperature, the chemical requirements of the core can only be met with an elevated temperature cure. This in turn places an additional restriction on the face sheets, as they will have to withstand the curing conditions without external constraint and without dimensional changes of the formed part. Finally, the face sheets then have to become an integral part of the formed laminate upon curing of the latter, involving a high adhesive strength between the cured core and the face sheets. The criteria for the selection of the materials for various layers are presented as well as the limitations on the construction of the entire laminate.

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