Deep drawing is a collective term for various methods of producing vessels and containers by pressing a sheet blank through a die. Deep drawing is often regarded as comprising the two elementary cases, stretch forming and drawing. However, in actual forming operations, these elementary cases rarely occur in clearly defines states. During stretch forming, the blank holder force is usually so high that the original diameter of the blank will not be significantly reduced when the punch presses the material into the die. On the other hand, if the blank holder force is lower, so that the material can slide under the blank holder, drawing of the material will occur. The diameter of the blank will gradually be reduced to the final diameter. In stretch forming the material thickness is reduced, while in drawing, the thickness is maintained. If the blank holder force is too low, wrinkling will occur during drawing.

The suitability of a stainless steel for a particular application is decided by the mechanical properties, and by the chemical composition. The chemical composition determines the deformation hardening of the material. A high deformation hardening is preferable for stretch forming, as it helps the steel to spread the deformation, while a low deformation hardening makes the steel more suitable for drawing. There are rather large possibilities for variation of chemical composition within each steel grade according to standards, which allows for large variations in formability. This is a great advantage of the stainless steels, since it ensures that there almost always is a steel grade suitable for your application.