Abstract
Sheet metal production isn’t much different than baking a cake. It requires the right ingredients, added at the right time and processed at the right temperature for the right amount of time. Literally hundreds of different types of metals are available, each with it’s own blend of physical, chemical, and surface properties and characteristics.
Pure metals are relatively soft and malleable. When you move a carpet, it takes alot of force to pull the carpet from one end. However, if you create a little wave or ripple and propagate that through the carpet, it becomes much easier to move. Metal forming on the atomic scale is similar.
Atomically, a pure metal can be pictured like 3-D network of racked billiard balls all the same size. The gaps in the atomic structure, called dislocations, are necessary for metal flow. As these dislocations propagate through the workpiece, any deviations from the homogenous pure matrix element will require more effort for the dislocations to move around it. All pure metals are relatively soft and malleable for this reason.
