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Hyperion introduces DZ23: A new lightweight carbide grade for can punch sleeves

Oct 08, 2025
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WORTHINGTON, Ohio — Hyperion Materials & Technologies, a global hard materials company and leader in can tooling products, today announced the launch of tungsten carbide grade DZ23, its latest development in lightweight carbide for can punch sleeves, during a technical presentation at Asia CanTech 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Hyperion constantly works to develop better materials for the most demanding applications, and for the can making industry, we have been focused on lower-density carbide grades for can punches that are lighter than standard grades with improved wear resistance,” said Lluís Miñarro, Hyperion’s global product director for can tooling products and services. “Punches made with lighter-weight carbide allow can makers to reduce downtime when changing bodymaker tooling on lines that produce multiple sizes of cans by keeping same ram.”

Carbide grade DZ23 is about 25 percent lighter than standard carbide grades, which enables Hyperion to manufacture punches for larger can sizes that weigh the same as punches for smaller sizes. Can makers benefit because they can mount different-sized punches to the ram and maintain the same overall weight, saving time in the setup process when switching a line to produce a different can size.

Developed specifically for can punch sleeves, grade DZ23 builds on the breakthrough Hyperion accomplished with grade DZ18 a decade ago. Grade DZ18 is about 10 percent lighter than standard carbide grades and exhibits improved wear resistance. Grade DZ23 maintains the wear resistance of grade DZ18 and expands Hyperion’s ability to offer quick-change bodymaker tooling products.

“Can makers are focused on efficiency and productivity, and carbide grade DZ23 provides us with another high-performance solution to save them time and be more productive,” Miñarro said. “We are very proud of the work our research and development team does to keep us on the leading edge of hard materials development.”

Learn more about Hyperion’s can tooling products and lightweight punches.