“…Amongst the most basic of these is the well-known shape parameter (Orbegozo, 1968;Wright, 1976Wright, , 1979, which characterises the likelihood of central bursting based on the values of reduction ratio and die angle. Analytical attempts (Avitzur, 1968a,b;Zimmerman and Avitzur, 1970a, b), based on admissible velocity fields, have included the additional influence of friction and strain hardening effects on the likelihood of central bursting formation. Despite giving reasonable predictions, these criteria are quite adventitious, in that they are not concerned with the stress and strain distribution, but only with the energy required.…”