Method for making a necked container

A method of making a necked tubular member comprising the steps of forming a sheet of material into a generally cylindrical tubular member and welding the adjacent longitudinally extending edges of the sheet, arranging said welded tubular member about a mandrel having a free end portion with a dome-shaped surface, performing a plurality of necking-in operations on said welded tubular member while said member is arranged about said mandrel to progressively reduce the diameter of a free end portion of the tubular member at least 15% from the original diameter of said tubular member with the necked-in end of the tubular member having a dome-shaped configuration, said plurality of necking-in operations including a first necking-in operation of reducing the diameter of the free end portion of the tubular member and forming an intermediate portion between said reduced diameter free end portion and the remainder of the tubular member over a portion of said dome-shaped surface of said mandrel and a further necking-in operation of further reducing the diameter of the free end portion of the tubular member and further forming said intermediate portion over said dome-shaped surface of said mandrel to increase the extent of said intermediate portion.