We created DeepForm to save metal and help automotive manufacturers deliver on their environmental commitments, while also saving cost. DeepForm delivers drop-in replacement press tools, that cut automotive sheet metal requirements by up to 40%  and form deeper parts than conventional drawing.

From Tooling Caution to Material Efficiency

Stamping managers in the automotive industry must deliver reliable throughput. As it can take six months to two years to develop all the tooling to make a new car model, they are naturally cautious about technology change, which carries the high risk of line interruptions.

To minimise these risks, each new car builds on familiar designs and tooling, but over time this has led to a surprising inefficiency in material utilisation. On average, the world’s automotive industries discard nearly half of all the sheet metal they buy. A small fraction of this loss is from blanking lines (due to blanks that don’t tesselate) and piercing holes (such as for the windows in door panels.) But the majority occurs after forming.

With years of intense development, the automotive sector can today produce extraordinary curvature in both outer and inner panels. However, achieving these forms requires both addendum surfaces that smooth out apparent product geometry, and a broad perimeter of excess material that is gripped in the blankholder during drawing to prevent wrinkling or tearing. Trimming off this extra material is the main source of automotive scrap.

With concern for the circular economy, the trimming waste is collected and returned for recycling. But recycling metal is energy intensive and imperfect. The environmental impact of car manufacture would be significantly reduced if less input sheet metal was required. (See related article.)

Saving Metal, Shaping the Future

At DeepForm, we deliver this reduction. By folding the blank over the tools before forming, we give the part sufficient stiffness that we don’t need a blankholder. Instead, we focus our forming effort on the cones of excess material that accumulate where the folds do not fit together. This reduces tool forces and eliminates the need for a blankholder.

As a result, sheet metal purchasing is reduced by as much as 50%.

Importantly, this saving is delivered with drop-in tooling. Our unique approach needs no change to the press line, and can be delivered by existing tool makers, using our novel patent-protected approach to tool design. We know how difficult the job of stamping managers is and we don’t want to make it any harder.

 In parallel with saving metal, because our tools lead to deformation in a state close to pure-shear, they can deliver more shape than conventional deep-drawing. So, while continuing to save metal, we can add new value to components. For example, forming close to vertical walls to increase battery capacity, or deliver stronger and better aligned structural components. (See related article on forming more deeply).

A unique and tested pipeline development

Over the past five years, gaining experience with our first three OEMs, we have developed a pipeline for tooling development:

• Examine the full component set of an existing or new auto model to identify candidate parts where DeepForm offers significant value
• Design tool surfaces and motions, implemented in AutoForm simulations, to confirm that our approach delivers parts within tolerance and with expected savings.
• Develop detailed tool designs in collaboration with OEM preferred tooling suppliers, support commissioning and installation.
• On production, technology transfer, licensing and implementation support.

A major UK OEM begins full-scale production of a first DeepForm component in December 2026, with several other tool sets in development. We are also developing tools for two other major OEMs.