Metal aerosol container and method of manufacture

A method for manufacturing a metal container adapted to receive a dispensing valve assembly for dispensing a pressurized or aerosol product from the container, wherein said container is formed from two pieces of metal, including the steps of:

• providing a metal body component and a metal base component;
• rolling the metal body component into a generally tubular shape having two longitudinal proximate free edges, and open top and bottom-ends;
• welding the longitudinal proximate free edges of the tubular shape to form a longitudinal weld seam, thereby forming a welded cylindrical body of a first diameter with open top and bottom ends;
• and
• forming the container by:
• forming and sealing the metal base component to the open bottom-end of the welded cylindrical body to form a closed container bottom;
• after forming the closed container bottom, sequentially applying a series of reducing diameter necking dies about an outer circumference of a top portion of the welded cylindrical body such that:
• the application of each necking die reduces the top portion to a given necking diameter and forms a non-tapered corner transition between each successive pair of necking diameters, such that the sequential application of the series of reducing diameter necking dies creates a shoulder portion consisting of a series of non-tapered corner transitions that approximate the appearance of a smooth edge;
• and
• the application of a final necking die creates a constant diameter neck portion extending from the shoulder portion, where the neck portion has a reduced second diameter relative to the first diameter of the welded cylindrical body;
• forming a curl at the open top-end of the neck portion, the curl being configured to receive a dispensing valve assembly for dispensing a pressurized or aerosol product from the container;
• wherein the weld seam extends continuously throughout the shoulder portion, neck portion, and curl.