The process of manufacturing 2-pieces aluminium beverage cans by Draw and Wall Ironing (DWI) uses a range of dies of varying characteristics. The ironing process requires punches and rings that draw and iron a cup to form the can body.
Producing these dies is a demanding and technologically complex process; they are made from metals that are difficult to grind, such as tungsten carbide, which is as hard as corundum, twice as dense as steel and can only be polished using abrasives such as boron nitride and diamond paste.
The manufactured dies also need to be capable of meeting micrometric geometric and dimensional tolerance rates, with blemish-free finishes.
The rings and punches are subjected to considerable mechanical wear, due to the high friction during the production process, so maintenance is another critical consideration.
Manufacturer Hyperion Materials & Technologies therefore required a grinding machine that would be sturdy enough to handle roughing of very hard parts, but at the same time precise enough to ensure micrometric tolerances.
It also needed a flexible, customised solution, capable of meeting intense production levels.
