Bending: Bending is the straining of metal around a straight axis during which the metal on the inside of the neutral axis is compressed while that on the outside is stretched. Plastic deformation takes place so that the bend takes a permanent set when the stresses that caused it are removed.

Drawing: The drawing process is the forming of a hollow or concave shape from a flat metal sheet (a blank) by stretching the metal. A blankholder is used to hold the blank down while the punch pushes into the sheet metal.

Shearing: In shearing a punch and die are used to cut the workpiece. While this is not actually a forming process, it is a very necessary one in sheet metalworking.