A fundamental problem with using percentage elongation as a criterion of formability or ductility of a sheet metal
is that necking interferes with the full capability of the metal to stretch as the metal naturally would in the forming
operation (Fig. 1). Also, many of the other parameters derived from true stress-strain tensile tests or from special
tests that correlate with formability in stretch and draw forming processes all depend on a particular criterion of
fracture of the sheet metal when subjected to complex strain conditions. At the same time, annealed sheet metal with
percentage elongations of 25-40% is routinely deep drawn or stamped into complex shapes with local elongations
measured by grid method analysis exceeding 100%. Obviously, the conventional tensile test is not a reliable guide to
formability in cases where a significant departure exists between local strains in a sheet metal forming operation and
percentage elongation measure in a conventional tensile test.
Fig.