| abstract |
A precoated stock material for use in forming a drawn and ironed container and a method of forming such container is disclosed herein. In the past, water soluble lubricants applied to the stock material during drawing and ironing had to be removed to produce an acceptable surface for subsequent coatings or decorations. This often involved use of harsh chemicals which, in some cases, involved potential health hazards. Recent efforts aimed at use of partially cured coatings containing lubricants applied prior to drawing and ironing have been unsuccessful in the sense that production rate is unacceptable and the coating is often removed during ironing. In this invention, the stock material initially has a layer of lubricant applied to at least one surface of the metal base with the lubricant consisting essentially of a Fatty acid ester of a mono or polyhydric alcohol and having a distribution of less than 0.5 mg./cm.2 (3 mg./in.2). The method contemplates applying the layer of lubricant to a metal stock, such as aluminum, black plate or tinplate, cutting a disc from the metal stock, and transforming the disc into a drawn and ironed container without additional lubricant being applied to the tooling. In one version of the invention, a black plate stock material has a curable polymeric coating applied to one surface which is then partially cured and a layer of lubricant is applied to the other surface. |