The weight of aluminum beverage cans has been continously reduced over the past years. 60 years ago, the first beverage cans had a weight of approximately 80 grams (80g). Today, beverage cans with volume of 330ml or 12oz. barely weigh 13g. A similar development can be observed in aerosol cans. Manufacturers apply lots of effort to optimize raw material usage.
Less cost and lower energy consumption
At the present time cans are being produced with wall thicknesses of 0,097mm – approximately the thickness of a human hair. A single gram (1g) in savings reduces the material consumption of aluminum by more than 200,000 tons annually. Aside from material cost reduction, this leads to considerable energy savings. A side benefit are reduced CO2 emissions (e.g. for transportation).
Minimized wall thicknesses require state of the art machine technology
In diversified markets with increasing number of products available, the shape becomes a critical differentiating factor. The industry leading necking machine N50.3 by HINTERKOPF goes beyond basic forming of the can’s neck and shoulder. With its wide spectrum of capabilities, Hinterkopf’s necking machine N50.3 allows for the individualized deep necking and shaping of modern light weight containers.
N50.3 with 50 processing stations opens entirely new possibilities for the shape of bottles and cans, made from aluminum alloys. Complex shaping of thin walled containers (e.g. involving he DWI process) can be achieved with a single machine.
