Designation: E 643 – 84 (Reapproved 2000)

Standard Test Method for

Ball Punch Deformation of Metallic Sheet Material1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 643; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

INTRODUCTION

The ball punch deformation test is used for evaluating the ductility of metallic sheet materials. The
test involves biaxial stretching of a constrained test specimen. Ideally, no draw-in of flange metal from
under the hold-down occurs. The sheet metal test specimen is bulged at a specified rate until the load
drops or until either necking or fracture occurs; the test is then terminated. Ball punch (penetrator)
movement to drop in-load or necking or fracture is the test result. It is known that test results may vary
with hold-down force, lubrication, and criterion for determining the end point of the test.

1. Scope 2.2 National Institute of Standards and Technology Docu-

1.1 This test method covers the procedure for conducting ment:4
the ball punch deformation test for metallic sheet materials NIST Handbook 91 Experimental Statistics
intended for forming applications. The test applies to speci- 3. Terminology
mens with thicknesses between 0.008 and 0.080 in. (0.20 and
2.00 mm). 3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
1.2 The values stated in inch–pound units are to be regarded 3.1.1 cup height, the height of the formed cup at the end
as the standard. point of the test.

NOTE 1—The ball punch deformation test is intended to replace the 4. Significance and Use
Olsen cup test by standardizing many of the test parameters that 4.1 The ball punch deformation test is widely used to
previously have been left to the discretion of the testing laboratory.
NOTE 2—The modified Erichsen test has been standardized in Europe.
evaluate and compare the formability of metallic sheet mate-
The main differences between the ball punch deformation test and the rials. Biaxial stretching is the predominant mode of deforma-
Erichsen test are the diameters of the penetrator and the dies. Erichsen cup tion occurring during the test and, therefore, the results are
heights are given in SI units. most often used to rate or compare materials that are to be
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the formed mainly by stretching. However, precise correlations
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the between the cup height as determined by this test and the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- formability of a sheet material under production conditions
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- have not been established.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 4.2 It is recognized that the cup heights for specimens from
the same sample may vary with differences in magnitude of
2. Referenced Documents hold-down force, lubrication, and method of end point deter-
2.1 ASTM Standards: mination. The procedures described in Sections 5, 7.1, and 7.3
E 177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in will minimize these variations.
ASTM Test Methods2
5. Apparatus
E 180 Practice for Determining the Precision of ASTM
Methods for Analysis and Testing of Industrial and Spe- 5.1 Cupping Machines (Fig. 1)—Any machine used for ball
cialty Chemicals3 punch deformation tests shall be equipped to hold the specimen
with a minimum force of 2200 lbf (9800 N). It shall have a
spherical-ended penetrator capable of forcing the central por-
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E28 on
tion of the specimen through the die until the end point of the
Mechanical Testing, and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E28.02 on test occurs (see 7.3).
Ductility and Flexure Testing.
Current edition approved April 27, 1984. Published July 1984. Originally
published as E 643 – 78.
2 4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02. Available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 15.05. Office, Washington, DC 20402.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

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 E 643

FIG. 1 Ball Punch Deformation Test Tooling

5.1.1 Variation in hold-down force is a source of variation in 5.3.1 The penetrator shall be sufficiently rigid so as not to be
cup height. For machines not equipped to measure the hold- deformed or to turn or move laterally during the test. Its head
down force, the magnitude of the force should be established. shall be spherical and have a diameter of 0.875 6 0.002 in.
5.1.2 The magnitude of the hold-down force shall be such (22.226 0.05 mm), and only this spherical portion of the
that no appreciable draw-in occurs. penetrator shall contact the specimen. The penetrator shall
5.1.3 The machine shall be provided with a displacement move along the axial centerline of the top and bottom dies. It
indicator to measure cup height. shall be clean and free from oxide build-up, corrosion, dirt, etc.
5.2 Displacement Indicator—The displacement indicator 5.3.2 The surface of the top die in contact with the test
shall monitor the ball penetrator movement and the scale shall specimen shall be plane and parallel to the surface of the
be graduated such that displacement can be measured to within bottom die. Both surfaces shall be clean and free from oxide
at least 6 0.0025 in. (when using indicators reading in SI units, build-up, corrosion, dirt, etc.
the displacement shall be measured to within at least 6 0.05 5.3.3 The surface finish of the penetrator and top die in
mm). contact with the specimen shall not exceed 160 µin. (0.004
5.3 Tooling: mm) when based on maximum distance peak-to-peak.

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 E 643
5.3.4 The spherical portion of the penetrator shall have a 7.3.1 The preferred method for determining the end point
hardness not less than 62 HRC. The working surfaces of the top shall be by the drop-in load on the specimen. In general, this
and bottom dies shall have a hardness of 56 HRC or higher. indicates the onset of necking in the dome.
7.3.1.1 Some test machines may not be equipped with a load
6. Test Specimens indicator. In this case, the end point shall be either visible
6.1 Number of Tests—A minimum of three tests shall be necking or fracture of the test specimen in the dome.
performed. When greater precision is required, see Section 9 7.3.1.2 Do not consider the test results valid for normal
for determining the number of tests to be performed. reporting when fracture occurs in the hold-down area (base
6.2 Specimen Size—Specimen blanks may be either circular failures).
or rectangular. The minimum width (or diameter) shall be 3.5 7.3.1.3 If the drop-in-load method is used and the machine
in. (90 mm). When evaluating rectangular strip, the cups shall has a pressure switch unit, set the switch at minimum time
not be closer than 3.0 in. (75 mm) from center to center, and the delay.
center of any cup shall not be within 1.5 in. (38 mm) of the end 7.3.1.4 Report the method used to determine the end point
of the strip. with the test results.
7.3.2 Ball Punch Deformation Cup Height:
NOTE 3—The minimum specimen width may be 2.5 in. (65 mm) for 7.3.2.1 The cup height is the penetrator displacement as
machines unable to accommodate larger width specimens.
measured by the indicator in thousandths of an inch (or
6.3 Specimen Thickness—This method applies to thick- hundredths of a millimetre) at the end point of the test.
nesses between 0.008 and 0.080 in. (0.20 and 2.0 mm). The 7.3.2.2 Set the penetrator displacement indicator to read
appropriate top dies are shown below. When thicknesses less zero at the start of test. The start of test is when the penetrator,
than 0.020 in. are tested, it is recommended that the top die under test conditions, makes contact with the specimen.
have self-leveling capability. When thicknesses greater than
NOTE 4—The test results may be affected by specimen thinning if the
0.080 in. are tested, agreement regarding the hold-down tests are performed on a machine that uses an indicator in contact with the
pressure necessary to prevent draw-in and the appropriate top test piece.
die opening shall be made between the supplier and the user.
Specimen Thickness, Top Die Opening, 8. Report
in. (mm) in. (mm)
8.1 The report shall include the following:
0.060 (1.5) or less 1.000 (25.40) 8.1.1 Identification of the material.
over 0.060 to 0.080 (1.5 to 2.0) 1.125 (28.58)
8.1.2 Thickness of the material.
7. Procedure 8.1.3 Method of end point determination.
8.1.4 Number of tests.
7.1 Lubrication:
8.1.5 Type of lubricant, if other than specified.
7.1.1 The cup height is strongly affected by the choice of 8.1.6 Average value and range (or standard deviation) of
lubricant or whether lubrication is employed at all. Studies cup heights.
have shown that variation in lubrication influences the strain
8.1.7 Average of maximum loads (if known).
distribution and the state of strain in the material being
8.1.8 Method of hold-down—constant or proportional.
stretched over the punch. The cup height obtained under
well-lubricated conditions will be significantly greater than that 8.1.9 Hold-down force (if known).
obtained under poorly lubricated conditions.
9. Precision and Bias
7.1.1.1 Use a commercially available petroleum jelly as the
lubricant. 9.1 The degree of agreement in repeated tests depends upon
7.1.1.2 Do not mechanically or chemically alter the speci- material homogeneity, machine and material interaction, and
men surface, which shall be representative of the material as the machine operator.
supplied. 9.2 Based upon a confidence coefficient of 0.90 that the
7.1.2 Lubricate only the punch. A thin coat of lubricant is standard deviation should be within 50 % of its true value, the
sufficient. In order to decrease the possibility of any relative number of tests to establish variability should be at least six. In
movement (that is, “draw-in”) of the specimen with respect to order to meet the requirements of 9.4.2, more than six tests
the die surfaces, do not lubricate the dies or test specimen. may be necessary.
7.1.3 Other systems of lubrication and specimen preparation 9.2.1 The standard deviation shall be reduced to a coeffi-
may be used as agreed upon between the supplier and the user. cient of variation that may be computed with the aid of any
standard statistical reference (see NBS Handbook 91) and
7.2 Test Speed:
should not exceed 3 %.
7.2.1 The speed of the penetrator shall be between 0.2 and
1.0 in./min (0.08 and 0.40 mm/s). NOTE 5—Procedures for dealing with outlying observations and rejec-
7.2.2 Near the end of the test, the speed may be reduced to tion of data are provided in Part D of Practice E 180.
the lower limit in order to more accurately determine the end 9.3 The bias of any ball punch deformation cup value may
point. only be stated with reference to a laboratory maintained
7.3 End Point of Test: standard lot.

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9.4 A critical comparison of averages or variability between 9.4.2 The method for establishing the significance of the
two laboratories or between the supplier and the purchaser can differences of the averages between two laboratories shall be
only be made, with regard to bias, for a common or reference agreed upon between the laboratories.
lot of material.
9.4.1 Difference of averages between two laboratories may
be established using methods that may be found in standard
statistical references. One such method may be the two-sided
Student’s t-test (see Practice E 177).

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