Patent ID: 7033156

Claim:
An apparatus for forming a powder material into a battery component through the application of pressure, comprising: a die; a lower compression punch insertable into a lower end of said die; a center pin with a rigid metal base and a ceramic-tip, said center pin being inserted within the die to provide a form for a hollow region in the battery component, said center pin remaining stationary relative to the die during compaction of the battery component therearound; powder material for filling at least a portion of the cavity defined by said die, said lower compression punch and said center pin; and an upper compression punch, insertable into an upper end of said die to compact the powder material against the lower compression punch, wherein the shape of the outer periphery of the battery component is defined by the die and the shape of a hollow region in the solid form is defined by the center pin, and where the ceramic-tip reduces the wear of an outer surface of said center pin as the battery component is removed from the cavity by the lower compression punch pushing the battery component free of the die and center pin.