A flat sheet is converted into a product of desired shape and dimensions by deforming it using the sheet metal drawing process. Ideally, a uniform thickness all over the formed part is expected. However, non uniform deformation is found to be inevitable in practical situations. Final geometry is obtained through multistage. The geometry of intermediate stages needs to be designed by the process planner. These geometries must be aimed at minimizing the unintended variations of sheet thickness in the final part. Hence there is need to devise a method and means for the design of intermediate geometries in between the flat sheet and the final product.

The present work proposes a method to design the forming process to manufacture a sheet metal product requiring more than one step to obtain the final shape

Capabilities of the method: The strain distribution based method is a formability based guidelines that takes into account simultaneously the geometry, material and the forming conditions. Moreover, it is simultaneously consistent with

1. The criterion of acceptability as defined by user.
2. The part of geometry.
3. The forming behavior of the a material
4. The forming conditions.

It will be useful in

• Indicating to the user and guiding him or her based on quantitative indices on the kind of process modification that needs to be mad to take the part away from the failure criterion.
• It is a quantitative method based on quantities obtained from the strain distribution.

Moreover, the proposed method is
a) Independent of material
b) Independent of geometry.