Method for forming a seamless stainless steel sink bowl with a grid ledge and product

A method for forming a stainless steel sink bowl having a top edge, a sidewall and a bottom surface interconnected by smooth corner surfaces from a single sheet, the sink bowl having a finished length, width and depth, comprising the steps of:

• providing a stainless steel blank with a plastic lubricating film attached to one side;
• clamping the blank to a surface of a first draw die with a clamping die having a clamping surface with a plurality of grooves;
• drawing the blank between the first draw die and a first forming die to form a first drawn blank having an unfinished bowl with a length and a width which are less than the finish length and width;
• generating a deformation warmth in the blank at the corner surfaces in proximity to the top edge as the first drawn blank is being formed to a temperature of between approximately 70.degree. C. and 90.degree. C.;
• immediately removing the first drawn blank from the first draw die and the first forming die;
• clamping the first drawn blank to a surface of a finish draw die;
• and
• finish drawing the first drawn blank, prior to loss of the deformation warmth., between the finish draw die and a finish forming die to form a finish drawn blank, the finish draw die including a non-continuous step and the finish forming die including a complementary non-continuous shoulder, the finish drawn blank having a finished bowl with the finished length, width and depth, the finish drawing including tangentially expanding a non-continuous sidewall portion of the first drawn blank and simultaneously forming a non-continuous ledge, between the step in the finish draw die and the finish forming die, at a medial position in the sidewall portion of the finish drawn bowl.