Let’s Deep Dive into Metal Forming
Engineering inspiration doesn’t always arrive in laboratories or factories. Sometimes, it arrives during a tea break. I was conducting a routine training session at our IIS Ahmedabad campus. Charts on the board. Machines on slides. Concepts flowing faster than the coffee in my hand. During a short break, I casually, picked up a glass of … The post Let’s Deep Dive into Metal Forming appeared first on Machine Insider.
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Engineering inspiration doesn’t always arrive in laboratories or factories.
Sometimes, it arrives during a tea break.
I was conducting a routine training session at our IIS Ahmedabad campus. Charts on the board. Machines on slides. Concepts flowing faster than the coffee in my hand. During a short break, I casually, picked up a glass of water in steel glass, ordinary, forgettable.
Or so I thought.
One of the trainees looked at the glass, tilted his head, and asked with genuine curiosity:
“Sir… how is this glass made?”
The room went quiet.
Not the awkward silence of confusion but the thoughtful silence of realization.
Because that question wasn’t about glass.
It was about manufacturing.
It was about materials.
It was about force, pressure, temperature, and intelligence hidden inside everyday objects.
And just like that, a simple glass of water unlocked the doorway to the fascinating world of metal forming.
The Glass That Changed the Topic
I placed the glass gently on the table, smiled, and said:
“Before answering how this glass is made, let me tell you how almost everything around you is made.”
In manufacturing, there are only three fundamental philosophies of making things:
- Subtractive Manufacturing
Where material is removed cut, drilled, milled, turned—until the desired shape appears.
(Very intelligent… but very wasteful.) - Additive Manufacturing
Where material is added layer by layer.
(Yes, the famous 3D printing revolution.) - Formative Manufacturing
Where material is neither added nor removed
it is persuaded.
Metal forming belongs to this third, and arguably the most elegant, category.
No chips flying.
No material wasted.
Just controlled force guiding metal into obedience.
Why Metal Is Not as Stubborn as It Looks
Most people believe metal is rigid, unmovable, and unforgiving.
That’s only until you understand its psychology.
Metal, when treated correctly, is surprisingly cooperative.
Apply force within limits and it will bend.
Apply a little more and it will stretch.
Apply it smartly and it will flow like butter under pressure.
Metal forming does not destroy metal.
It trains it.
Internally, the metal’s grain structure realigns.
Defects reduce.
Strength improves.
Ironically, after being “beaten,” the metal often becomes stronger than before.
That’s why forged components are trusted in engines, aircraft, railways, and defence systems where failure is not an option.
The Secret Language of Force
Metal forming is not brute force.
It is educated force.
Different processes speak different force languages:
• Compressive Forces
Metal is squeezed between dies used in forging and rolling.
Think of it as a disciplined gym workout for metal.
• Tensile Forces
Metal is stretched into depth and elegance used in deep drawing.
That steel tumbler at your home?
Yes…… That too.
• Bending Forces
Metal changes direction without changing thickness press brakes do this daily without complaint.
• Shear Forces
Supporting actors like blanking and punching cutting shapes so forming can continue smoothly.
Each force has a personality.
Each must be applied with timing, precision, and respect.
Otherwise, the metal will protest with cracks.
Processes That Quietly Run the World
As the glass remained on the table, we explored the heroes behind modern industry:
• Forging
Creating high-strength components that survive heat, load, and vibration.
• Rolling
The silent backbone of sheets, plates, and structural sections.
• Extrusion
Giving aluminium its long, elegant profiles from window frames to heat sinks.
• Sheet Metal Forming
Responsible for car bodies, enclosures, panels, and cabinets we never thank enough.
• Deep Drawing
Turning flat sheets into seamless containers fuel tanks, cookware, medical components.
All these processes share one philosophy:
Maximum shape. Minimum waste. Maximum intelligence.
Why Metal Forming Matters Today More Than Ever
Metal forming is not just a manufacturing method.
It is an economic strategy.
It delivers:
- Higher material utilization
- Better mechanical properties
- Faster production cycles
- Lower cost per component
In sectors like automotive, defence, railways, infrastructure, energy, and electronics—metal forming is not optional.
It is foundational.
In fact, a nation’s manufacturing maturity can often be judged by the strength of its forming ecosystem.
IMTEX Forming: Where Ideas Hit the Die
This is exactly why IMTEX Forming is more than an exhibition.
It is where the future of force meets intelligence.
Under one roof, IMTEX brings:
- Advanced forming machines
- Servo & CNC press technologies
- Automation and robotics
- Digital manufacturing and Industry 4.0 solutions
For students, it converts textbooks into reality.
For professionals, it converts challenges into solutions.
For India, it converts ambition into capability.
IMTEX doesn’t display machines.
It displays possibilities.
A Message to Young Engineers
As the session ended, I looked at the trainees and said:
“Software builds the digital world.
But metal forming builds the physical one.”
If you want a career where:
- Your designs move real machines
- Your calculations bend real metal
- Your decisions shape real industries
Then metal forming is not old-fashioned.
It is future-ready.
With simulations, AI-assisted forming, smart presses, and digital twins, this field is evolving faster than ever.
Final Thought
That day, a simple glass of water taught more than any slide ever could.
Machines may shape metal.
But metal forming shapes industries, economies, and engineering careers.
And sometimes…
All it takes is one honest question:
“Sir… how is this glass made?”
S. Jagnnath
Department of Advance Manufacturing Training
TATA Indian Institute of Skills (Mumbai Campus)
Contact Details-
Mob No- 8180081059
E Mail – Jagnnath.shrimangle@tataiis.org
LinkedIn – Jagnnath S.
About the Author
S. Jagnnath is a Production Engineering graduate with a strong focus on skill development in the CNC and manufacturing sector.
- Siemens – CNC Application Engineer
- Bharat Forge – CNC & CAD/CAM Trainer
- Godrej & Boyce – Assistant Training Manager
At Ace Micromatic, he led large-scale machine tool training programs under Tata Technologies’ ITI Upgradation Program, impacting institutions across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Assam.
Mr. Jagannath is the Reviewer of the Easy CNC Handbook and manages a YouTube channel with over 85,000+ subscribers, dedicated to CNC education and manufacturing awareness.
He is also the Co-Author of “Comprehensive Guide for CNC VMC & HMC”, a complete CNC reference book designed to bridge learning from academia to industry practice.
Awards & Recognition
Samurai 2025 – 6th Edition Award (Skill Development Category)- Gurucool Book of the Year Award (Technical Book Category)
Through training, authorship, and digital education, his work consistently aims to bridge the gap between industrial technology and workforce readiness across India.
The post Let’s Deep Dive into Metal Forming appeared first on Machine Insider.
