Whisker reinforced ceramic material working tools

A method of making a can be cold drawing comprising the steps of:

• forming a one-piece cup from an aluminum plate by mounting the plate in a cup-forming die and moving a cupforming punch through the cup-forming die, said formed cup having a closed bottom end, an open end, and integral sidewalls extending substantially perpendicular to the closed bottom end;
• forming a can body from said cup by mounting the cup in a body-forming die and moving a body-forming punch through the body-forming die thereby ironing the sidewalls of the cup;
• forming a domed bottom end on the can body by pressing a domer element against the closed bottom end of the can body;
• forming a neck on the open end of the can body by pressing the can body sidewall adjacent the open end of the can body against a necker die to thereby form a neck of reduced diameter;
• and
• forming a flange on the open end of the can body by pressing the can body sidewall adjacent the open end of the can body against a spinnecker disc;
• wherein at least one of the tools selected from the group consisting of said cup-forming die, said cup-forming punch, said body-forming die, said body-forming punch, said domer element, said necker die, and said spinnecker disc being made with a composite ceramic material including a matrix comprising alumina and having distributed therethrough 2-40 volume percent monocrystalline silicon carbide whiskers, wherein said composite does not contribute to the buildup of aluminum oxide on the surface of the tool.

A method of making an aluminum tubular casing by cold drawing comprising the steps of:

• retaining an aluminum workpiece in a shape-forming die;
• and moving a shape-forming punch through said shape-forming die;
• wherein at least one of said shape-forming die and said shape-forming punch comprises a composite ceramic which comprising an alumina matrix having distributed therethrough 2-40 volume percent monocrystalline whiskers selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, aluminum nitride, and alumina;
• and
• wherein said composite does not contribute to the buildup of aluminum oxide on the surface of said die or said punch.

A method of making a can by cold drawing comprising the steps of:

• forming a one-piece cup from an aluminum plate by mounting the plate in a cup-forming die and moving a cupforming punch through the cup-forming die, said formed cup having a closed bottom end, an open end, and integral sidewalls extending substantially perpendicular to the closed bottom end;
• forming a can body from said cup by mounting the cup in a body-forming die and moving a body-forming punch through the body-forming die thereby ironing the sidewalls of the cup;
• forming a domed bottom end on the can body by pressing a domer element against the closed bottom end of the can body;
• forming a neck on the open end of the can body by pressing the can body sidewall adjacent the open end of the can body against a necker die to thereby form a neck of reduced diameter;
• and
• forming a flange on the open end of the can body by pressing the can body sidewall adjacent the open end of the can body against a spinnecker disc;
• wherein at least one of the can tools selected from the group consisting of said cup-forming die, said cup-forming punch, said body-forming die, said body-forming punch, said domer element, said necker die, and said spinnecker disc is made with a composite ceramic matrix comprising alumina and having distributed therethrough 2-40 volume percent monocrystalline whiskers selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, aluminum nitride, and alumina;
• and
• wherein said composite does not contribute to the buildup of aluminum oxide on the surface of said die or said punch.