Patent ID: 7748101

Claim:
A method of forming a metallic container comprising: providing a pre-formed body portion; providing a pre-formed lid portion; supporting the pre-formed body portion on a support assembly placing the lid portion onto the body portion into an initial engagement with one another with a sonitrode that is movable with respect to the support assembly, and applying a first downward force to keep portions of the lid portion and the body portion held in contact with one another; reciprocally rotating the lid portion with respect to the body portion with the sonitrode at a first frequency for a predetermined amount of time, increasing the downward force to a second downward force, larger than the first downward force, and increasing the rate of reciprocal rotation of the sonitrode to a second frequency, larger than the first frequency, after the predetermined amount of time has passed; and holding the sonitrode in the engaged position, at the second downward force, and maintaining the reciprocal rotation of the sonitrode, at the second frequency for a second predetermined amount of time, thereby generating frictional heat between the lid portion and the body portion such that a friction weld is formed therebetween.