page_banner

Metal Can Packaging and Process Overview

Metal Can Packaging and Process Overview

Metal cans, commonly known as easy-open cans, consist of a separately produced can body and lid, which are assembled together at the final stage. The two primary materials used for manufacturing these cans are aluminum and tinplate. Metal cans are generally classified into two types: two-piece cans and three-piece cans.

Three-Piece Cans

Tin Plate: Tinplate is a popular material for food cans due to its excellent corrosion resistance, which helps prevent the metal from rusting and reacting with the food inside. It is a thin sheet of steel coated with a layer of tin, providing both strength and protection. The tin coating ensures that the metal does not react with acidic foods like tomatoes or fruits, making it a preferred material for most food packaging applications.

Iron Plate: Iron is often used in combination with other metals, such as tin, to enhance its strength and resilience. It is less commonly used alone in food cans but still plays a role in specific applications. Its relatively lower cost makes it a viable option for some packaging needs, though it must be treated to prevent rust and corrosion.

Chrome Plate: Chrome-plated materials are used in some food cans to provide an additional layer of corrosion resistance, especially in environments where the can may be exposed to moisture or chemicals. Chrome enhances the durability of the can, making it more resistant to wear and tear.

Galvanized Plate: Galvanized steel, coated with zinc, offers excellent corrosion resistance and is often used in applications requiring additional protection against external elements. While it is commonly used in industrial settings, galvanized plates are sometimes used in food packaging cans, particularly when a higher level of protection is required.

Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is used in the manufacture of food cans that need to withstand extreme conditions, such as high heat or harsh chemicals. It is highly resistant to corrosion, rust, and staining, making it ideal for packaging food products that require long-term preservation.

The role of welding in can production is crucial. Automatic can body welding machines, like those from Changtai Intelligent, are designed to join these materials with precision and efficiency. These advanced machines are capable of welding various metals, including tin plate, iron plate, chrome plate, galvanized plate, and stainless steel. The importance of these welding machines lies in their ability to ensure tight, secure seals without compromising the integrity of the materials. They help improve production speed and maintain high-quality standards, reducing the chances of defects and ensuring the safety and durability of food cans.

3 piece metal can packaging
aluminum alloy two-piece cans
2 piece can trending

Two-Piece Cans

Two-piece cans emerged in the mid-20th century. These cans consist of only two components: the can body and the lid (no separate bottom), hence the name "two-piece can." The manufacturing process involves stretching and forming a metal sheet using a punch press and a drawing die, creating an integrated can body and bottom, which is then sealed with a lid.Two-piece cans can be further categorized based on:

    ▼ Height: Shallow-drawn or deep-drawn cans.
    ▼ Material: Aluminum or tinplate cans.
    ▼ Manufacturing Technique: Thinning-drawn cans or deep-drawn cans.

Advantages of Two-Piece Cans Compared to Three-Piece Cans:

    ▼ Superior Sealing: The can body is directly formed through drawing, eliminating leaks and the need for leak testing.
    ▼ Product Quality Assurance: No welding is required, avoiding lead contamination from soldering and enabling high-temperature sterilization for better hygiene.
    ▼ Aesthetic Appeal: Seamless can body with a sleek appearance, ideal for continuous decorative printing with excellent visual effects.
    ▼ High Production Efficiency: With only two components and a simplified can body manufacturing process, production capacity is significantly enhanced.
    ▼ Material Savings: The can body undergoes stretching deformation, resulting in a thinner wall compared to three-piece cans. Additionally, the seamless design eliminates longitudinal seams and bottom joints, reducing material use.

Drawbacks:

Two-piece cans have higher requirements for material performance, manufacturing technology, and equipment, and they are suitable for fewer types of filling materials.Currently, aluminum two-piece cans are the primary choice for metal can packaging. These cans use aluminum alloy sheets and employ a thinning-drawing process, resulting in a significantly thinner can wall compared to the bottom. When used for beer packaging, the high internal pressure compensates for the reduced rigidity of the thin wall. The high gas barrier, light-blocking properties, and sealing performance of metal cans ensure the stability of beer quality. Moreover, these metallic properties allow for high-speed filling, even with time-consuming isobaric filling methods.
Specialty Cans

Specialty Cans

Lastly, let’s introduce a unique type of metal can: specialty cans. As the name suggests, these are metal cans with unconventional shapes that differ from standard designs. They are often innovative and visually more appealing. However, specialty cans require more complex manufacturing processes and higher costs.

Chengdu Changtai Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd.- A automatic can equipment Manufacturer and Exporter, provides all the solutions for Tin can making. To know the latest news of metal packing industry, Find new tin can making production line, and get the prices about Machine For Can Making,Choose Quality Can Making Machine At Changtai.

Contact us for details of machinery:

Tel:+86 138 0801 1206
Whatsapp:+86 138 0801 1206
Email:Neo@ctcanmachine.com CEO@ctcanmachine.com

 

Plan to set up a new and cost low can making line?

Conatact us for the considerable price!

Q: Why choose us?

A: Cause we have leading edge technology for giving the best machines for a wonderful can.

Q: Does our machines available for Ex works and easy to export?

A: That's a big convenience for buyer to come to our factory to get machines cause our products all don't need commodity inspection certificate and it will be easy for export.

Q: Is there any spare parts for free?

A: Yes! We can supply free quick-wear parts for 1 year, just rest assure to use our machines and themselves are very durable.


Post time: Jul-05-2025