Brau Beviale
Inspection
Cambodia
MPMA
Can TechINTE RNAT I ONA L
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
Ends
COVER NOV-JANFEB08.indd 1 19/7/11 11:46:11
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Editorial Comment
CanTech International January/February 2008 3
elcome to 2008, can makers! It promises to be
an exciting year in the industry. The advent of
new products, such as the Easylift easy open
end, shows there is innovation to be had in the closures
market. The can-lid label is becoming increasingly recog-
nised as a valuable marketing tool, and the bottle can
is showing potential in new categories such as cider and
wine. Joanne Hunter’s report on page 27 outlines how the
coupling of product and container, in this case bubbly light
wines in cans, is breathing new life into the sector.
This year will also be a busy one. The giant trade show
Metpack is being held in Essen at the end of April, which
always provides a great meeting point for the industry.
We publish an extra issue especially for Metpack, so
don’t miss our upcoming March and April editions for
coverage of the show.
Meanwhile, growth in the Far East continues, with
countries not normally associated with can making
getting in on the act and starting up production
lines. Cambodia, for one, has reached the tipping point
and is now producing its own two-piece beverage cans
at Crown’s new plant there, albeit from imported
materials. See page 16 for the full report.
The early part of every year is a time of changes, and
the changes at the UK’s Metal Packaging Manufacturers
Association have resulted in Nick Mullen taking over Tony
Woods’ good work as director of the organisation. See
page 24 for Katrine Kjoeller’s interview with both men
about the future of metal packaging in Europe.
The 100 years that Royal Zaanlandia has been in
business in the Netherlands has also seen many changes.
However, the key to staying in business for so long is simple,
according to Daan Kriek, managing director and fourth
generation member of his family to run the company – by
maintaining innovation and creativity in the market. See
page 31 for this firm’s remarkable story.
Editorial DirectorSarah [email protected]
Managing Editor Suzanne [email protected]
Assistant Editor Katrine [email protected]
Art EditorSue [email protected]
Advertisement Manager David [email protected]
Business Development Manager David Cox [email protected]
Accounts Clare [email protected]
PublisherNeil McRitchie [email protected]
Taiwan Sales Agent Worldwide Services Co LtdPO Box 44-100, Taichung, TaiwanTel: +886 4 2325 1784Fax: +886 4 2325 2967 [email protected]
Editorial & Sales OfficeThe Maltings,57 Bath Street,Gravesend Kent DA11 0DF, UKTel: +44 1474 532 202Fax: +44 1474 532 203
16 Cambodia 27 Brau Beviale 36 Inspection
COVER STORIES
New year, new ends
W
By Suzanne Christiansen, Managing Editor
P.3 INTRO_COMMENT√.indd 1 19/7/11 12:00:08
January/February 2008 Contents
CanTech International January/February 2008 5
ContentsJanuary/February 2008
Volume 15, Number 3
Subscription Information:
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Send address changes to: CanTech International, The Maltings, 57 Bath Street, Gravesend, Kent DA11 0DF, UK. Published by Bell Publishing Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Bell Publishing Ltd. Printed in the UK by Williams Press, Maidenhead, Berkshire. ISSN: 1466-7851
REGULARS
3 Comment
7 World News We bring you the latest from can makers, suppliers and marketers around the world
40 New Products New cans and ends in the market place
41 Equipment News The latest machinery and equipment for the can line
57 Diary
58 Candid John Gardner, vice president communications, corporate affairs, HR & recycling, Novelis Europe
FEATURES
15 Lifting the loop Easylift, Crown’s development in the EO end market, makes opening cans easier than ever. Evert van de Weg reports
16 Cambodia can! Crown has opened Cambodia’s first two-piece beverage can manufacturing plant. David Hayes reports
7Can TechINTERNATIONAL
27 A fine vintage Packaging producers will look back on 2007 as “a good year” for wine in cans, as exhibitors at Brau Beviale in Germany showed
31 The royal hundred Dutch can maker Royal Zaanlandia is 100 years old but still alive and kicking
35 Planning for easy openings Enzo Orellana of Grace Darex Packaging Technologies explains how its coatings line aids the use of easy-open ends
36 Inspection innovations An overview of developments in the can inspection field
42 Buyers Guide
18 Neck defects In the second article in the series on neck defects from the Asia CanTech conference, Adrian Long, sales manager at CarnaudMetalBox, talks about various examples of can defects caused by bodymaker topwall variation
21 A close eye on cans Speakers at the Asia CanTech conference offered views on everything from printing to inspection for can makers
24 Passing of the can torch The new year brings a new leader at the MPMA, with the retirement of Tony Woods
15
Cover: Courtesy of Grace Darex
31
P.5 INTRO_CONTENTS√.indd 5 19/7/11 12:01:30
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CanTech International January/February 2008
Shares in Rexam sank 11% in January after the company, the world’s biggest maker of drinks cans, says higher oil prices and foreign exchange costs would hit profits.
The company generates more than a third of its revenues from the US and, because of the weak dollar, its exchange costs for the year would now reach £20 million ($39m), which is about a third higher than expected. Moreover, the price of oil has been rising increasing the cost of transport.
Rexam says: “In the second
Rexam continues fall as market suffers
7
World News
Correction: In the CanTech report
on the Aerosol 2007 conference in
Manchester, the winner of the
‘Most Innovative Aerosol Product’
category in the Aerosol Awards
was won by Walk Easy - DNA per-
sonal alarm spray and not L’Oreal
for Solar Expertise as stated.
Ball Corporation has agreed to
repurchase approximately $100
million of its common stock in a
privately negotiated accelerated
stock repurchase transaction with
Goldman Sachs using cash on
hand and available borrowings.
The transaction is expected to
commence in early January 2008
and to reduce Ball’s outstanding
common stock by approximately
two million shares.
Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft,
has bought a stake worth $392 mil-
lion in Mexican Femsa, the largest
beverage company in Latin Amer-
ica. Femsa’s shares jumped 7.5%
on the announcement. The com-
pany, also known as Fomento Eco-
nomico Mexicano, is based in the
northern city of Monterrey and has
a history going back to 1890, when
it helped spark Mexico’s industriali-
sation. It has three divisions: a soft
drinks unit, beer subsidiary and a
retail operation, which runs Latin
America’s largest convenience
store chain.
Danish brewer Carlsberg has
strengthened its position in the
beverage market in Laos follow-
ing the completion of the acquisi-
tion of 70% of the shares in Lao Soft
Drink Co Ltd – the bottler of Pepsi
in Laos. The remaining 30% of the
shares are held by the Govern-
ment of Laos.
ArcelorMittal has raised its stake in
the China Oriental Group to more
than 73%, becoming the first for-
eign company to take control of a
Chinese steel maker. Though no fi-
nancial terms have been released,
the stake is believed to be about
$1.7bn, estimated on the price of
the original stock. China Oriental’s
main asset is a mid-sized steel mill
in the north of the country that pro-
duces 4m tonnes a year. It is unique
among Chinese steelmakers for
being privately owned.
IN BRIEF Crown Holdings has selected Raymond McGowan, Jr, 55 (right), to replace Frank Mechura, 64, as president of its Americas Division effective 1 January 2008.
McGowan will report to John Conway, Crown’s chairman and CEO, and will be based in Philadelphia. Mechura retires on 31 January 2008. Conway com-ments: “Ray’s knowledge of manufacturing operations and customer service will serve the company and the Americas Division well.”
McGowan is being promot-ed from his current position as president of North American Packaging. Prior to that, he served as president of Crown’s North American food packaging business. He was group vice presi-dent of global consumer products at Sonoco Products Company before he joined Crown.
The company also named Brian Rogers, age 48, as opera-
Crown Holdings names two to posts
tions vice president of its Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East business unit. Rogers previously served as area manufacturing manager for Crown’s beverage can operations in North America. He is replacing Dave Francis, who recently retired after 44 years with the company. Rogers will be based in Paris and oversee manufacturing operations for the company’s 13 beverage can plants located across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
half, the US dollar has continued to weaken against sterling, and this will affect our reported results due to the translation impact on our US dollar earnings. In addi-tion, energy and freight costs have been affected by the higher price of oil and this is expected to con-tinue into 2008.”
As well as the dollar, the compa-ny said growth in Brazil had been mitigated by the strength of the Brazilian real against the US cur-rency, increasing the cost of local currency.
However, Rexam notes that
aside extra costs, trading in the second half of the year had been in line with expectations and the North American operations are recovering from the effects of the strike in the first half.
Can plant speculation in Eastern EuropeMajor new can plant investments in Eastern Europe and Russia have been reported from politicians and through local media recently, though no confirmation has come from the can makers themselves.
Ball Corporation is supposedly in talks with South Russia’s Rostov regional authorities to build a $120 million beverage can plant, accord-ing to a regional economy minister. Local press reported that the plant will produce about 500 million cans a year, accounting for about 11% of the Russian drinks can market.
Meanwhile, Peter Hajar, the direc-tor of the Slovakian government investment agency SARIO, has said that the country is in talks with Crown over a $139.7 million investment, although negotiations are still in the very early stages and the location could still be changed. The coun-try’s daily newspaper Hospodarske Noviny reports that Crown would build a new beer can plant with a capacity of 720 million cans per year, but that Russia and Hungary had been also considered for the project.
The UK’s largest aluminium foil con-tainer manufacturer has acquired German company Bachmann Aluminium as part of its plan to expand in the European market.
Nicholl Food Packaging already has facilities in France and Belgium. Nicholl chief executive officer Andrew Dent says: “Bachmann’s geographical location and repu-tation in the German market fit-ted well with our strategic plan to grow in the mainland European sector. Germany is the second largest container market in Europe after the UK and this acquisition represents an opportunity for mar-ket growth in Germany and the eastern European market.” Nicholl Food Packaging has a total work-force of nearly 400 and a turnover of more than £60 million.
Foil container manufacturer expands
British can maker Rexam has con-firmed that, following further discus-sions with the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (FAS), it has received clearance to complete the acquisition of Rostar, the Russian beverage can maker, which was first announced in July 2007.
In addition to a number of stand-ard conditions, Rexam has agreed with the FAS that for a period of 10 years it will not increase bever-age can prices in Russia by more than 15% per annum (other than in exceptional circumstances) and that it will continue to invest in its Russian beverage can business.
Rexam has clearance to acquire Rostar
P.7,8,9,11 NEWS√.indd 7 19/7/11 12:02:54
January/February 2008 CanTech International
8
World News
The latest figures from APEAL (the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging) show that 66% of steel packaging is recycled in Europe with strong growth recorded across the continent.
This is equivalent to 2.5 million metric tons of food/beverage cans and other steel containers in 2006, a 5% increase over 2005. The figures also show this prevented 4.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the environment – the equivalent to taking two million cars off the road.
The top performers were Belgium and Germany with 93% and 89% of steel packaging recy-cled respectively. Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands follow closely behind, recycling over 80% of their steel containers.
The trend towards increased recycling for steel packaging is confirmed in Central and Eastern Europe with Latvia, Poland and the Czech Republic all boosting their recycling performance
by between 34% and 50%. The UK and Denmark improved upon their recycled tonnage of the pre-vious year by between 10% and 15%. Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal recorded encouraging growth of 5% and 10% respectively.
Europe recycles two-thirds of all steel packagingCOMPLETE LINES
• Sacmi Crown cap lines (intermediate).
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• Crabtree 2 col Print+coat lines 40”x36”/45”x38”
• CRABTREE 1290 print press of 1995, PERFECT
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• Mailander 122, 2 col.print+coat.+ oven 45”x38”
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• Mailander 469 in line coater 45”x38”
WELDING MACHINES
• Soudronic NRZD 12 semi auto
• Soudronic FBB 5501welder+Frei oven
• Soudronic ABM 250 Welder+curing oven
• Smag welder (25 Ltr. Drums)
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• Soudronic VEAW 50 welder revised.
• Soudronic VAAK-120(AE) welder+SPS powder+oven
GENERAL INDIVIDUAL MACHINERY
• SACMI PTC-27 Crown press(2) 1995 perfect
• Angelus Seamers 50P DF, 60L & 120L
• COMACO automatic PALLETIZER- PA700/VLD,
• FMC-652 C1 Seamer 6 heads,tools 99mm
• FMI 8 head beader 99 mm dia
• Mawag KS2 duplex slitters -1040x1040
• SHIN-I Auto single slitters 42”x 42”, 1994
& Electrostatic Waxing spray system
• Lubecca auto one head seamer LW211
• MB 548 Beader tools 603 (153mm)
• MB 560 Beader tools 83mm
• Cevolani BQ48 auto Die flanger dia 127, 153 mm
• MB 151 auto Die flanger, tools 99mm dia -- MB 200 F6 auto flanger, tools 65/99mm dia
• MB 334 CRS/F auto seamers dia. 83+52mm
• MB 65 Spin Flanger tools 211/209
• Cevolani AT 60 auto seamer tools 153mm
• Cevolani AQ 58 auto Rectangular Seamers(2)
• Lanico BF 280-AE
• BORDEN Testers 36 pockets modified 1992
• Bliss 821 Dbl.Die stripfeed press+curler
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Andrew Garner (above right) has been named as the new CEO of Lindgens, effective 1 January 2008. He will take over from Jan Koivula (above left) who moves to the role of board chairman.
Lindgens started a restructure in 2005 through a management buyout and has since moved around production, made an acquisition in Turkey, opened an office in Russia and launched its products in North America. “By the end of 2008 we will have also grown sales by close to 50%, which is a great endorsement from our customers that our products and serv-ices meet an industry need,” says Koivula, who will continue to support Lindgens commercial activities. He adds: “We’re now entering phase two, with further improvements to come in pro-duction and product development.“
“I’m excited with what I find at Lindgens,” says Garner. “Moving forward we will be fine-tuning our commercial approach as well as enhancing operational and supply chain capabilities.” Prior to joining Lindgens, New Zealand-born Garner worked across a wide range of industries as a manager and business improvement consultant.
Garner is new Lindgens CEO The number of tin producers and EU importers committed to data generation for the registration of tin metal under the new Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation continues to grow. Companies are working together in the Tin Metal Consortium in order to minimise the costs and resource require-ments of dealing with the complex requirements of REACH, and the number of members has been increasing since the group was formalised in October. By the end of 2007 the tonnage covered by the Consortium reached a level of around 80% of the tin used in the EU.
Laila Zollinger, representing major tin producer Minsur, and acting as the elected chairman of the group, says: “Membership is open to any com-pany, whether in the EU or not. We encourage all tin producers, EU importers and users of tin metal to consider becoming involved in our consortium so that we can work in an efficient and effec-tive manner across the supply chain and ensure REACH registration can be achieved in time”.
The current Consortium membership consists of; AMC London, Malaysia Smelting Corporation, Metallo Chimique, Minsur, PT Koba, PT Timah, Thaisarco, Yunnan Tin and Yuntinic Resources.
Pre-registrations must be made by 1 December 2008 by all EU tin metal producers, and any non-EU metal or alloy producer wishing to continue to export to the EU. Final registrations for tin, for com-panies dealing in quantities of more than 1,000 tpa, and including the full data dossier, must be made by December 2010.
For more information please visit: http://www.itri.co.uk/information/sustainability/reach.asp. Companies interested in joining the REACH consor-tium, should contact Kay Nimmo on: + 44 (0) 1727 871 312 or by email at: [email protected]
EU tin registration numbers up
P.7,8,9,11 NEWS√.indd 8 19/7/11 12:02:58
CanTech International January/February 2008 9
Akzo Nobel to focus on integration in 2008
The Coca-Cola Co’s board of direc-tors has approved the recommenda-tion of chairman and chief executive officer Neville Isdell for an evolu-tion of the company’s leadership structure. Under the new structure, president and chief operating offic-er Muhtar Kent will succeed Isdell as chief executive officer as of 1 July 2008. Isdell will remain chair-man of the board of directors until the company’s annual meeting of shareowners in April 2009. “This next management step, which draws on the successful partnership between Muhtar and me, ensures that we will continue to grow and enhance Coca-Cola’s business around the world,” says Isdell.
Kent returned to The Coca-Cola Company in May 2005 as president of the North Asia, Eurasia and Middle East Group. He was named presi-dent of Coca-Cola International in January 2006 and appointed presi-dent and chief operating officer of the company in December 2006.
Kent to succeed Isdell as Coca-Cola CEO
Nick Mullen has been appointed director of the UK’s Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA). He will take over the role from Tony Woods who retires at the end of 2007 after seven years in the posi-tion (see page 24 for our interview with both men).
Mullen assumes his new posi-tion following a number of senior managerial roles in the metal pack-aging industry within the UK and across Europe. He will be the main interface on behalf of the metal packaging manufacturers with government and all other regula-
tory bodies. He joined the team on 1 December 2007 and assumed overall responsibility for the asso-ciation from 1 January 2008.
Mullen is new MPMA director
World News
Coca-Cola has unveiled a new pack-aging design across its entire range – and gone back to basics. The new design has incorporated the most old elements of the Coca-Cola visual identity – the red background, the white ribbon and the scripted logo, originally created in 1886. Coca-Cola Great Britain will also be incorpo-
rating the ‘Recycle Now’ Recycle Mark across the packaging. The overwhelming majority of the brands’ packaging is 100% recyclable, with aluminium cans made from 50% recy-cled aluminium. The ‘Recycle Now’ mark will also be rolled out across the entire portfolio of 16 Coca-Cola Great Britain brands throughout 2008.
Dutch Akzo Nobel CEO Hans Wijers says 2008 will be another vital year in the company’s long history fol-lowing the successful completion of the acquisition of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). During his traditional New Year’s message, the chairman told employees worldwide, that with the formalities now finalised, the newly appointed management teams can embark on a fast and effective integration process, which is expected to realise annual cost synergies of €280 million ($405.9m).
As of 2 January 2008, Akzo Nobel operates in three business areas: decorative paints, performance coatings and speciality chemicals. Two integration teams have been appointed to manage the integra-tion process for the company. One team is focused on merging the decorative paints activities – which is led by Tony Britt – the other team is headed by Piet Schalkwijk, who manages the integration project office.
Coca-Cola’s new look: back to basics
P.7,8,9,11 NEWS√.indd 9 19/7/11 12:03:01
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CanTech International January/February 2008 11
World News
Novelis opens German research centre
Tony Woods retires at MPMA
Tough Chinese recycling law proposedChina’s central government has proposed legislation to gov-ern the packaging, waste and recycling industries. If passed, legislation known as Method for Administration of Recycling Packaging Materials will rank among the toughest in world.
Based on the “producer pays” principal, the proposed legislation requires brand own-ers to take back post-consumer
waste and will impact on the entire packaging supply chain including brand owners, print-ers, converters, equipment sup-pliers, materials manufacturers and recyclers. In addition, since export markets are not exempt, materials such as styrene (which is to be banned), will not be permitted in any form of prod-uct packaging exported from China.
Under draft law, all packag-ing must be recoverable, plus either recyclable or degrada-ble. Packaging reduction and lightweighting becomes manda-tory. In the first known recorded instance in China, whistleblower provisions of the measure give citizens the right to report actions that waste resources, damage the environment or result in excessive packaging.
Tony Woods has stepped down as director at the UK’s Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association MPMA He said goodbye at a lunch recently, not-ing that he has had a very varied career and 42 years of continuous employment, and so “would like to do something else! I will miss the industry and the people.“
However, he expressed pleasure for the MPMA with the naming of Nick Mullen as his successor, saying, “I believe Nick Mullen will take the MPMA forward and I am delighted.”
Woods observes that there have been many lessons learned over the years, for example with recycling metal containers.
“The lessons I’ve learned is that the key to recycling success is to run it as a business – plan locally, but run it within the framework of government and on a national basis.“
Overall, Woods may find it hard to leave the industry he has served for so long. “I have thoroughly enjoyed the packaging industry, and my seven years with the MPMA have been
the most rewarding. There have been issues to tackle, but it’s always been fun,“ he says.
Arnaud de Weert, Novelis Europe’s president, cuts a chain of
cans to mark the official opening of the Novelis Technology
and Innovation Centre in Göttingen. Also pictured (L to R):
Dr Josef Lange, state secretary-Lower Saxony Ministry of
Science and Culture, Wolfgang Meyer, Göttingen mayor
and Stefan Erdmann, general manager, Novelis Göttingen.
Novelis has opened its new technology and innovation Centre in Göttingen,Germany. The new facility, one of three such laboratories oper-ated by Novelis in Europe, will provide specialist research and development support for custom-ers and other Novelis plants across Europe.
The centre will focus on the develop-ment of aluminium sheet products for the drink and food can markets and lithographic printing as well as pre-painted aluminium sheet for other end-uses.
Commenting on the choice of the Göttingen plant as the location for this new investment, Stefan Erdmann, general manager of Novelis Göttingen says: “It makes a lot of sense to have our R&D located in the plant as our scientists are able to work closely with the sales teams, our customers and our European production facili-ties. Innovation is fundamental to the continued success and competitiveness of Novelis.”The specialist equipment in the new facility
includes a “coil to coil” pilot rolling mill, which ena-bles product ideas to be developed very quickly.
P.7,8,9,11 NEWS√.indd 11 19/7/11 12:03:09
12th-14th October 2008Shanghai, China
P.12,13 AsiaCanTech08 dps.indd 2 19/7/11 12:06:13
Can TechAsia2008
The Technical Conference for Can Makersand Fillers in the Asia Pacific Region
P.12,13 AsiaCanTech08 dps.indd 3 19/7/11 12:06:13
January/February 2008 CanTech International 14
P.14-HEILBR,IMETA.indd 14 19/7/11 12:06:47
Closures
CanTech International January/February 2008
Steel easy-open (EO) ends for food cans have been
around for several decades. They were developed to
simplify the opening process and do away with the
need for consumers to use tools to open a food can.
In 1988 Crown made a decisive breakthrough by launch-
ing its EOLE steel EO end. This end was reliable for fillers and
brand owners during can processing and for the consumer
it offered consistent ease of opening. Since then the open-
ing characteristics of steel EO ends have continuously
been improved.
The development of more precise manufacturing equip-
ment enabled the production of ends that opened easier.
The score depth, the most critical feature for very easy
opening, could be held constant. Combined with harder
tinplate, this improved production process also allowed for
considerable down gauging of easy-open ends. All these
factors have led to a smaller price gap between an easy-
open and standard end, which in turn has given another
boost to their use. A big majority of processed food cans
currently use steel easy-open ends and they are becoming
more common in the US as well. Simply put, cans with easy-
open ends are becoming the standard.
Further improvementEasylift easy-open ends are the latest Crown development
for steel cans.
Steve Thomas, marketing manager for Crown’s Food
Europe business unit, notes: “We did work to keep improv-
ing the openability of all steel easy-open ends. After the
introduction of the EOLE II and EOLE III versions, the peel-off
forces had come down considerably. Consumer research
taught us that, as a whole, easy-open ends are quite
acceptable. But as you probe further, consumers have
some identified problems with the ring pull – for exam-
ple, getting your finger under the ring can be difficult for
women with long fingernails or for those dealing with arthri-
tis. This became our next engineering challenge: finding a
way to improve ring pull access.”
Thomas believes Crown has found the solution in Easylift:
“Easylift ends achieve this goal by giving consumers a suf-
ficiently big gap below the ring for them to put their finger
under, while still being compatible with fillers’ can retorting
processes.”
DevelopmentHowever, this is not to say development was smooth,
according to Thomas: “We researched two or three ideas
before coming to the final version. What we knew already
is that when people do exactly as the opening instructions
prescribe, the opening goes much easier. But people often
do not read the instructions, they just attack the can.”
Lifting the loop
This is alleviated by the Easylift
end, which now allows consumers
to access the ring more easily so
that they seem more inclined to
push the ring fully to the end, thus
opening the score in the way they
should. “Doing this also provides
you with a much better pull force,”
Thomas notes.
No canner complicationsThe point of departure for the devel-
opment of Easylift easy-open ends
was to avoid complicating things for
the filler and causing costly down-
time. Thomas observes, ”Although the
improved access has been created
by a combination of panel and ring pull
re-design, Easylift has been designed to be
compatible with existing canning line equipment.
Only one-off adjustments are necessary, thus minimising
any production downtime.”
The first customer to use Easylift easy-open ends is the
Purina Petcare Division of Nestlé in its pet food plant in
Ijmuiden, The Netherlands.
Says Thomas, “Nestlé Purina brands like Felix are now
already in use in the market. At the moment we are pro-
ducing the first Easylift ends in France but we will be rolling
out the technology to other Crown plants including the UK.
We have also already started developing other diameters
for both human food as well as pet food market sectors.”
Wide range Crown foresees that Easylift ends will become
common in many canned food markets like pet
food, fish, fruit, dairy products, ready meals and
so forth. Easylift easy-open ends are setting a
new standard for the industry.
“Independent research has confirmed
that nearly 70 per cent of consumers prefer
Easylift ends to other easy-open ends,”
Thomas notes. “While there is an up-charge
for Easylift ends, we believe the investment is
well worth it based on the convenience and
functionality that can be offered to the con-
sumer. Easylift ends make it easy for all con-
sumers to access ring pulls more easily and to
open food cans faster, without the risk of broken
fingernails or using tools. We do believe that
we have really ‘closed the loop’ in easy-open
comfort now with our specific Easylift ends.” q
15
Easilift, Crown’s development in the EO end market, makes opening cans easier than ever. Evert van de Weg reports
Easylift garners awardsCrown’s new end is already garner-ing accolades in the industry. The Easylift EO end has collected the UK’s Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association’s supreme award at the Best in Metal Awards 2007 held recently. Tony Woods, MPMA direc-tor, notes, “It reflects the way that the metal packaging industry con-tinues to develop new technolo-gies to help brand owners achieve greater consumer preference and loyalty by meeting their evolving needs.”
The Easylift EO end “combined technical innovation and function-ality,” he adds.
P.15 EASYLIFT√.indd 15 19/7/11 12:07:12
Cambodia
January/February 2008 CanTech International
Crown Beverage Cans (Cambodia) Ltd recently
opened Cambodia’s first two-piece beverage
can plant to meet growing demand for cans
among local soft drinks and beer companies. Built and
equipped at a cost of US$30 million, the can making fac-
tory is one of the most advanced industrial enterprises in
Cambodia and is expected to play a key role in supporting
development of the nation’s growing canned beverages
industry.
“From ground breaking to commercial sales was only
ten months. This has been a very intense project for
Crown Asia-Pacific,” comments Crown Beverage Cans
(Cambodia) Ltd general manager, Michael Ruddick. “We
are a high profile project here, as we are part of a big
American company.” Crown Cambodia is part of Crown
Asia-Pacific and Crown Holdings Inc, headquartered in
Philadelphia, US.
Commercial production started on 1 October 2007. The
official opening ceremony in December was attended by
H.E. Sok An, deputy prime minister of the Royal Cambodian
government, reflecting the importance of the plant in
Cambodia’s industrial development programme.
Ten-year planCrown’s decision to set up a plant in Cambodia follows ten
years’ experience with developing can sales to this emerg-
ing market by importing two-piece cans from its plants in
Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Sales of empty imported
cans reached 400 million, and then the decision was taken
to build production in-country.
“Eventually business reached a critical mass where
importing empty cans into Cambodia was not financially
attractive, the logistics were difficult and our customers
here wanted local contact with the supplier,” Ruddick
says.
The plant is equipped with one line that currently is capa-
ble of producing 1,200 cans per minute. Minster supplied
the cupping press while ASC supplied the coil handling sys-
tem. There is a Ragsdale decorator and can body maker.
Ovens were purchased from ITS,
Ruddick notes. Cincinnati sup-
plied the washer and Pride the
can handling equipment.
Crown Cambodia has also
installed a Belvac seven stage die
necker machine with an integrat-
ed tester. There is a Rutherford
base coater and a six colour
Ragsdale Concorde printer.
“We are starting by producing
330ml size cans. In our second
phase, the plan is to upgrade the
production line from 1,200 cpm
to 1,500 cpm, and to
consider installing a
second production
line as this plant is big
enough for one,” notes
Ruddick.
Most materials used
at the plant remain
imported, howev-
er. “We import can
ends from plants in
Malaysia, Singapore
and Vietnam,” Ruddick
says. “We are looking
at installing an end line
here within the next 12
months, with a 500 million
ends per year capacity.”
The new plant employs 85 local staff and five expatri-
ates. Production operations run 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. “We have started up with a five man expatriate
management team to teach and train Cambodian staff
how to run a world class plant,” Ruddick explains. “We use
generic systems for quality and safety to ensure health and
safety at our plant.
“Before opening we took 50 staff overseas for training
in groups of ten in printing, washing, metal forming, electri-
cian and metal finishing groups. Each group went for four
weeks training to Crown can plants in Singapore, Thailand,
Vietnam and Huizhou in Guangdong, China.”
The plant is located on the edge of the capital Phnom
Penh in an industrial district, where many factories produce
textiles and garments for export. Facilities installed at the
company’s two hectare factory site include an extensive
water effluent treatment system.“This effluent treatment
system sets a standard for manufacturing facilities here.
We are handling waste in a completely responsible way,”
Ruddick says.
Local customers include Cambodia Beverages Co,
which handles Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta drinks.
Cambodia Breweries is another client – it produces Tiger,
ABC Stout and Anchor beer under license.
“We are talking to other potential customers – both
traditional and non-traditional can users,” Ruddick says.
“We have an opportunity to develop retort products here.
We are getting interest from producers of Asian drinks,
and these are now being filled in other containers such as
plastic containers.”
Crown Cambodia also offers domestic clients a slim line
two-piece can as an import. “Crown Asia-Pacific’s second
two-piece can line in neighbouring Vietnam is a 250ml (202
x 200) slim can line,” Ruddick explains.
In addition to current can sales volumes, Crown has
Crown has opened Cambodia’s first two-piece beverage can manufacturing plant. David Hayes reports
Cambodia can!
16
Cambodia’s deputy prime minister H.E Sok An opens the firsttwo-piece beverage can plant in the country.
P.16,17 CAMBODIA√.indd 16 19/7/11 12:07:42
CanTech International January/February 2008
been attracted to invest in Cambodia by the country’s
future market growth potential.
According to official statistics over 50 per cent of
Cambodia’s 14 million population is under 20 years of age,
many of whom watch television and are familiar with big
consumer brands.
“Canned drinks are seen to be modern and interna-
tional brands are big here,” Ruddick notes. “Glass bottles
are not so popular, as there is no bottle recycling here.
People actively recycle cans here and sell them to metal
traders.”
Canned beverage consumption is dominated by
Cambodia’s growing urban middle class, while the coun-
try’s expanding tourist industry also supports the growth of
canned beverage consumption.
“Cambodians like to party and drink. Most canned
beer and soft drinks are consumed in the four major cities
– Phnom Penh, Battembang near the Thai border, Siem
Reap where Ankor Wat is located, and beach resorts
around Sihanoukville,” Ruddick says.
“About 75 per cent of beer is sold in cans here, about 20
per cent in glass bottles and 5 per cent is draft,” Ruddick
estimates. “Beer is a growing market. The government
has brought both stability here and produced a growth
in tourism.”
In addition to supplying local clients, Crown Cambodia
now exports part of its can production to Vietnam. “Our
can exports will support other Crown plants in Southeast
Asia just as they have supported us here – mainly our facto-
ries in Thailand and Vietnam,” Ruddick says. “We are here
to supply the Cambodian market but we are also looking
at the markets in Laos and Myanmar.”
“Installing the second line depends on our customers.
We expect to be operating at 90 per cent capacity in
July 2008. By then we will be producing 45 million cans
per month. It takes six to seven months of a learning curve
after opening to reach more than 90 per cent operating
efficiency.”
Based on these figures, Crown Cambodia will produce
about 540 million cans in 2008. In addition to supplying
customers that previously used cans imported from other
Crown plants in Southeast Asia, the company is thought
to be supplying customers that previously imported two-
piece cans from other can makers in Southeast Asia. q
Cambodia can!
Cambodia
Düsseldorf, Germany24 – 30 April 2008www.interpack.com
20.1
1.20
07 M
ot1
30
0 x
12
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c Ca
nTec
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Messe Düsseldorf GmbHPostfach 10 10 06D-40001 DüsseldorfGermanyTel. +49(0)2 11/45 60-01Fax +49(0)2 11/45 60-6 68www.messe-duesseldorf.de
INT_ipc08_300x127_4c_Mot1.indd 1 14.11.2007 8:11:41 Uhr
Crown Cambodia’s new beverage can plant
P.16,17 CAMBODIA√.indd 17 19/7/11 12:07:44
Asia CanTech 2007
January/February 2008 CanTech International
The control of bodymaker topwall variation is impor-
tant when producing 211 x 206 diameter neck cans
and it becomes of critical importance when produc-
ing 211 dia x 202 neck cans. Causes of bodymaker topwall
variation include bodymaker hydraulics, machine misalign-
ment, ram alignment, re-draws, tooling and metals.
Start by checking the machine from the back to ensure
there is no major component failure. Then, begin to
investigate the machine set up – look at areas such as oil
temperature and pressure, yoke slide and front bushing
clearances.
The next step is to do a can progression check to deter-
mine if there is a machine setup or tooling issue. Other
areas to look at include cradle alignment, with respect
to height, squareness and centrality, redraw in the areas
of squareness and concentricity, along with stripper and
domer alignment.
Typical machine checks include ensuring that the rear
air bags and piston seals are not leaking, and checking
the hold down push rod linkage condition. Inspect for worn
bushes and pins, as uneven clearances will result in uneven
redraw clamping. Also, check the swing and hold-down
levers pre-load.
Hydraulics and misalignmentsThe high pressure system is what furnishes the bodymaker
with the hydrostatic abilities of the machine. The mainte-
nance of the high pressure system is the most important
maintenance aspect of the bodymaker. The reliance
of high pressure oil provides the ability to supply precise
lubrication to the bearings as well as maintaining a true
alignment of the slide yoke to the
slideways.
The inter-relationship of all the parts
in the bodymaker is dependent on the
accurate application of the oil, with
the temperature being 40oC +/- 2oC
(104oF) and supply pressure remaining
B3 1200-1500 psi/5000 B/M 1500 psi.
An extreme degree of precision
has been built into bodymakers to
assure proper alignment of many criti-
cal components. Various assemblies
have been individually fitted onto the
machine and tolerances established
and maintained by precision grinding.
Loss of alignment is caused by
machine abuse, poor operating prac-
tices, severe jams and improper clear-
ance of jams. Loss of alignment is
caused – it does not just routinely
occur. Re-alignment is a precise process that if done cor-
rectly takes time. This is the one thing can plants do not
have.
Can progressionsThe reasons why can progressions are used is to check tool-
ing, can total indicator readings and alignments. Before
taking a progression, remove tooling and spacers and
check for any burrs and cold weld build-upon on the face
of the rings and spacers. If found, remove with oil stone if
required. Check the rings and punch for pick-up and clean
off if it is necessary.
To obtain a re-draw progression, ensure a re-draw ring is
installed but with dummy rings in all other stations. To obtain
a first iron progression, ensure a re-draw ring and first iron
are installed, but with dummy rings in all other stations. For
a second iron progression, ensure a re-draw ring, first iron
and second iron are installed, but with dummy rings in all
other stations.
When using a digital transducer, before starting any tool
cradle alignment checks, ensure that the high pressure
oil is set between 1200 psi and 1500 psi, that the whole
machine is up to working temperature of 40oC and that
the ram fitted with a punch has been in the fully back posi-
tion and is hot along its entire length.
During the ironing of the can, it is of great importance
to maintain a linear pathway for the ram and punch. Any
variance from a linear path can result in sidewalls of the
container being formed with variations in thickness and
unequal strength characteristics, which will lead to possible
unexpected failure.
The main causes of ram mis-alignment includes blocked
yoke slide lee jets, blocked primary/secondary front bush-
ing lee jets, excessive yoke slide/slideway clearance,
excessive front bushing clearance and temperature dif-
ferential around the ram circumference.
In the second article in the series on neck defects from the Asia CanTech confer-ence, Adrian Long, sales manager at CarnaudMetalBox, talks about the bodymaker D&I process and the various examples of can defects caused by bodymaker topwall variation such as neck pleats, neck bat wings and flange puckers
Neck defects:
18
bodymaker topwall variation
Adrian Long speaking at Asia CanTech
Figure 1. Can defects caused by bodymaker topwall variation
P.18,19 ADRIAN√.indd 18 19/7/11 12:08:15
CanTech International January/February 2008
During the formation of the redraw progression, it is of
great importance to maintain an accurate alignment of
the redraw sleeve to that of the punch and tool cradle.
The redraw front hold down cylinder pressure must be
evenly distributed on the entire circumference of the
redraw sleeve as it pushes and holds the cup against the
redraw die. Uneven pressure will result in the cup not being
redrawn correctly, causing wrinkling or uneven stretching
of the side wall of the cup.
The face of the redraw sleeve must be square and
concentric within 0.013 mm (0.0005 inch) to the tool cradle
(redraw die). The main causes of redraw related issues
include the redraw sleeve not being square or concentric
Neck defects:
19
Asia CanTech 2007
to the redraw die, the read
hold down linkages being
worn or that the rear hold
down piston seals or air bags
are leaking. [see figure 2]
It is also important that the
too l ing re la t ion-
sh ip ( too lmatch)
is correct. Changing the tool-
ing relationships can result in
working the metal too hard,
or too little, and can cause
the material to be distributed
(dumping) unevenly.
Other key factors include
a worn profile of punch or ring, out of round rings, ring
holders being bent or scored and aluminium build-up on
punch or rings.
MetalDue to the grain orientation, the metal behaves differ-
ently in various directions. During the cold rolling process
the grain in the metal gets orientated and stretched
to rolling direction and a variation in gauge during the
rolling process will result in high cup top wall varia-
tion. If a sudden increase in the topwall total indica-
tor reading occurs across all bodymakers at the same
time, metal quality will probably be the cause. q
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Figure 2. Setting of redraw sleeve
Figure 3. Check that rear air bags/piston seals are not leaking
P.18,19 ADRIAN√.indd 19 19/7/11 12:08:16
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KBA-MetalPrint – your complete partner providing you with the technology
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Innovative systems for the printing, coating and curing
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CanTec-Anz_Jan08_RZ1.indd 1CanTec-Anz_Jan08_RZ1.indd 1 10.01.2008 15:23:57 Uhr10.01.2008 15:23:57 Uhr
CanTech International January/February 2008
The range of presentations at the Asia CanTech con-
ference stretched to all areas of the can produc-
ing world. Printing and coating, inspection, cupping
machines, lubricants and computer modelling were just a
few of the topics covered at the show.
Printing and coatingSprimag’s Matthias Allar discussed the company’s coating
solutions for spraycoating aluminium two-piece and steel
two- and three-piece cans. Allar showed a video of its
spray technology with specific application details such as
the best way to cover the complete bottom of a steel can
to prevent it from rusting.
“We would recommend our bottom spray machine,
although alternative concepts include the inside spray
machine being equipped with the dome spray option. The
dome of the can bottom gets sprayed with an additional
spray gun located behind the secondary turret, that acts
also as an outfeed transfer into the trackwork or magnetic
conveyor,” Allar says.
Allar explains that the dome spray option with an addi-
tional chime spray gun is a concept that could be realised
if needed by the industry. An additional spray gun would
be mounted next to the dome spray gun to spray the
chime of the can while the can would be rotated just at
the spray position in the secondary turret.
The goal is to coat the chime with no overspray at all, so
the company has looked into the roller coating process of
the chime. It is envisioned that one of those units would be
integrated into the outfeed conveyer of each inside spray
machine with the dome spray option, in order to achieve
the complete coating of the dome and the chime of the
can. Since the can does not need to rotate during the
coating process, there is no possibility to damage the can
with a spinner belt or spinner roller.
Andrianto Jayapurna from Grace Darex Packaging
Technologies focused on the company’s Apperta and
Sistiaga products under the headline “Anticipating
Tomorrow’s Needs – Today” (see page 35 for the cover-
age of its coatings line). Another area of development for
the company came with the acquisition of Grupo Sistiaga
in summer 2007. The Spanish supplier of coatings for alu-
minium containers is complementary to Grace Darex’s
coating and sealant products.
KBA MetalprintWhen Bauer+Kunzi merged with LTG Mailänder in 2005, it
created KBA Metalprint which now supplies the Metalstar2
and Sprint printers. Gerhard Grossman spoke about the
benefits of the single grip six colour printer versus the tradi-
tional two colour printer. He notes the output level is three
to four times higher with the six colour printer, and it is ideal
for four and more colours per job, or applications where a
big number of print jobs are required per
year. Automation was also a bonus of the
single grip with maximum automation for
fast set-up and colour management for
repeat jobs.
He acknowledges, however, that a tradi-
tional printer was still ideal for applications
that only need one to two colours per job.
“The outlook for the future replaces paper
labels with just-in-time delivery and this will
create extra business in several areas such
as shaped cans,” according to Grossman.
Bilhöefer’s Harald Moyrer believes the
future belongs to combining labelling,
metal sheets and laminating polyester film
on metal sheets. The permanent join of the
film and the metal benefits the decoration
and can be used with up to 14 colour print-
ing presses for flexibles. Moyrer notes: “It is
safe, has higher gloss and better surface feel. You can use
the existing can making equipment and it is suitable for
any type of filled product. It is useful for retortion, an area
that was questioned previously. It comes in transparent,
white and yellow, which against the metal, looks golden.”
Crabtree’s presentation was divided between Paul McKie
and John McHugh who considered the FastreadyGen3
printing and coating equipment. They explain that market
research shows that run lengths are getting lower and
quality demands are getting higher. New approaches are
needed when the focus on changeovers as speed is not
so important, they point out.
“The FastreadyGen3 features a double wash and scrape
system and washes in just over half the time at before. Its
roller configuation has better ink distribution, faster start
up, a better ink/water balance and UV control with blow
attachment,” says McKie.
Computer modellingNordson provides computer modelling systems for two- and
three-piece can coating. Terry Cook of Nordson discussed
the company’s applications, from interior spray and dome
spray applications to curing and drying equipment. Cook
notes: “With Nordson nVision Tools, a series of interactive
computer modeling tools, can coating costs can be cal-
culated by applying variables and calculations across can
coating operations for options available.”
Nordson’s CanWorks iTrax spray monitor system monitors
quality of three-piece coatings by immediate identifica-
tion of spray malfunctions, while the company’s ink-dot
identification system applies thermal-sensitive inks to the
outside of two- and three-piece food cans to assure that
the filled food cans have completed the retort and cook-
ing process.
Speakers at the Asia CanTech conference offered views on everything from printing to inspection for can makers
A close eye on cans
21
Asia CanTech 2007
Sprimag
P.21,22,23 ASIA√.indd 21 19/7/11 12:09:44
Asia CanTech 2007
January/February 2008 CanTech International 22
Helmut Gruber from
inspection supplier Quiss
spoke about its entry into the
packaging market in 2001
after being approached by
Schmalbach Lubecca (now
Ball Packaging Europe). The
company was dissatisfied with
the performance of its inspec-
tion systems, which were find-
ing only about 65 per cent of
the defects required. Quiss
spent 18 months developing
a system that was able to reliably detect over 96 per cent
of these defects.
The result, the TCVision system, is a product family of
three segments, for inspection of shells and lined shells,
converted ends and cans respectively. The core func-
tionalities of the system include contour based failure
detection working with relative thresholds that minimise
influence of light interference, material deviation and
electrical noise, achieving the highest defect detectabil-
ity. Optimised illumination, such as the use of multi spectral
illumination, also helps in achieving sharper images and
minimise light interference, according to Gruber. The latest
developments for the company includes the further devel-
opment of the LogoCheck system for the quality control of
German refund marks on cans.
Process monitoring built inBud Patel from Applied Systems notes that process moni-
toring for can manufacturers is now a reality as the VTRAC
system has been added to the company’s Genius system.
It provides a process monitoring capability built into the
vision inspection system, allowing manufacturers to reduce
spoilage, downtime, manufacturing costs and improve
maintenance procedures.
Jean-Philippe Descloux from Wilco covered high speed
in-line leak detection, moving through the functionalities of
the various machines the company supplies, such as the
one for empty aerosols and for crimp and valve of filled
aerosols. Features include automatic control functions so
the sensors of each station are monitored and adjusted,
and when a malfunction stops the machine, the operator
will be alerted. Reject reference levels are constantly cal-
culated after each test and for each station, compensat-
ing for outside influences.
Bruce Ballard from Pressco notes
that, “Everyone is looking for fast-
er, easier and better controlled
advanced on-line inspection.”
Pressco’s Intellispec technologies
include the Chromapulse, which uses
new forms of illumination to increase
defect detection in areas such as
lug closure inspection. It can also use
UV illumination for post repair inspec-
tion. Chromapulse takes advantage
of solid-state lighting technology to
achieve uniform, snap-to-snap illumination. Combined
with the SmartLight Control, the user can programme the
colour, direction and intensity of the illumination, thus opti-
mising the lighting for each individual inspection.
Ballard continues: “We redesigned the user interface
to provide intuitive menu navigation, single step part file
changes, on-line tutorials, and more powerful inspection
algorithms.” Another aspect of the system is the ability to
measure key product features on-line, such as seal surface
diameter and gate offset, or rivet diameter and flange
diameter. The correlation feature helps identify problem
spindles, moulds, or transfer arms on blowmoulders, die
cavities on presses, or spray guns on liner machines.
MachineryReimar Friess from Blema Kircheis presented the company’s
offerings in the Kappa end lines for strip and sheet feeders,
the Gamma can making machines for both three- and
two piece lines and the Rho sealing machines for both
peelable ring ends as well as tin cans. New technology
includes heat sealing machines, embossing and deboss-
ing of three-piece can bodies using a modular designed
machine with the embossing done at a printed body and
each can’s position identified by sensors, as well as TO-
caps and safety buttons.
Schuler’s Markus Rover
and Allen Sheffield from
TG Can presented jointly.
In 2005 Schuler restarted
the product line with a
new design of a cupping
press, type DA, after a pro-
duction gap of 17 years.
“The DA140-2 has produc-
tion of good parts with
better tool life due to the
playfree slide guiding with
automatic circular lubrication, creating an almost mainte-
nance-free press. The main motor is isolated so the vibra-
tion does not have impact on other parts of the machine.
It is direct drive, no gears are needed and the hydraulic
clutch/brake combination makes it free from wear and the
machine stops within one revolution,” says Sheffield.
The Minster Machine Co was represented by Rick
Schwartz whose presentation ‘Understanding Presses’
revolved around the company’s long history of involve-
ment in the development of presses for the can-making
industry around the world. Since the mid-1960s, Minster has
been building presses for the production of two-piece sani-
tary food cans. Development of the Minster double action
cupping press in the early 1970s marked Minster’s entry into
the D&I can making area.
The company is producing new high-output presses for
manufacturing beer/beverage and sanitary food can
ends with extreme precision, which are able to handle
down-gauging for material savings.
Lining upGunther Schuermans from Intralox spoke about spiral
Allen Sheffield
Bud Patel from Applied Systems
Bruce Ballard from Pressco
P.21,22,23 ASIA√.indd 22 19/7/11 12:09:47
CanTech International January/February 2008
applications in beverage can production lines, notably in
comparison to vacuum elevator technology. “The benefits
include eliminating the de-misting system and reducing noise
level in the line,” Shuermans notes. “There is no spoilage during
power shutdown or failures and no need for access structure.
The spiral can handle steel and aluminium cans without any
special requirements and with better can handling flow it is eas-
ily integrated in lone control systems. In addition there are no
emissions or airflow throughout the plant.” It was also explained
how a vacuum system will use 40 kW/year while spiral will use 3.5
kW/year, hence reducing power consumption.
Using the spiral technology in accumulation applications
shows it has a smaller footprint than standard accumulation
tables, with a storage capacity up to three to five times more. It
is bi-directional and the longer accumulation time gives flexibil-
ity during breakdowns. As it accumulates and elevates in one
unit, it thus eliminates excess steel work or a mezzanine as well
as a palletiser/depalletiser, creating a cleaner environment with
no storage of pallets on site.
Chemtool’s Chris McKenzie concentrated on the well-estab-
lished relationship between the company and the can industry,
and highlighted the NuSol technology that is breaking ground
in metalworking fluids. “NuSol cupping lubricant and wall iron-
ing coolant lasts up to ten times longer than current coolants
at similar cost while it reduces oil consumption, gives good cor-
rosion protection and tool life. It is self-cleaning and reduces or
eliminates waste treatement,“ he says. “The NuSol Post Lube is
electro-statically applied and compatible with NuSol Cupper
Lubes as well as all competitive cupperlubes. There are no
climatic issues and good lubricity improvements as well as lay-
down characteristics.”
McKenzie also covered Chemtool’s range of washer chemi-
cals including Protek, a conversion coating designed to provide
a treatment to the surface of aluminium D&I cans that will pro-
tect them from staining when in contact with alkaline hot water
in the pasteurisation process.
Last but not least, Ruedi Umbricht, the founder of Can Man in
Switzerland, represented the SwissCan Network. “After watching
the latest efforts of some companies trying to form a monopoly
in various can making fields, I‘m trying to do something against
this ‘movement’,” he says. The SwissCan Network is comprised of
Can Man, Frei, Germann+Frei, Langhans Innotec, Rychiger and
Sabatec and the network arranges tours to Switzerland to the
various plants. q
Asia CanTech 2007
23
Amir Novini is president and CEO of Applied Vision Corporation. With more than 27 years of experience in the field of machine vision, he has developed three generations of machine vision systems. He has authored numerous papers on machine vision and has several patents. www.appliedvision.com.
P.21,22,23 ASIA√.indd 23 19/7/11 12:09:52
MPMA
January/February 2008 CanTech International
Tony Woods’ decision to retire as director of the UK‘s
Metal Packaging Manufacturer’s Association (MPMA)
marked the latest change for the association in a year
already full of adjustments. Nick Mullen, who has been
involved with the MPMA and EMPAC predecessor SEFEL
as a committee representative, vice chairman as well
as chairman for three years from 2000, will take over the
directorship from 1 January 2008. CanTech International
met with the two to get an insight into the MPMA’s current
role in the metal packaging industry.
CanTech: Nick, tell me about your career in the metal
packaging industry.
Nick Mullen: I joined Metal Box as a management trainee
and worked in several of the company’s functions and
operations, developing wider roles and responsibilities
following the merger with Carnaud in the late 1980s and
the subsequent takeover by Crown in 1996. My early
career included commercial, sales and marketing roles
in speciality packaging as well as senior operational and
general management appointments within that segment
before I became director of the company’s speciality
packaging UK operations in 1997.
Following the acquisition by Crown, the company’s
European aerosols interest was partially divested and in
1999, I became vice president of the restructured oper-
ations, encompassing a number of
businesses across Europe and the US,
and helping to navigate the business
through a particularly difficult time in
its history.
I have been involved with the
MPMA all my working life, but more
closely in the last 15 years. I have now
taken early retirement to focus on the
MPMA and hope to support the indus-
try in my new role.
CT: What do you consider your
greatest achievement in your career?
NM: In the late 1990s, a lot of change
happened in the industry and our
company was taken over by Crown.
There was a big issue to contend with,
that of chemicals in contact with food
and we were faced with industry-wide
problems, which were very threat-
ening. We were forced to respond
quickly, and the European Secretariat of Manufacturers
of Light Metal Packages (SEFEL) didn’t have sufficient
resources so MPMA had to step in.
Since we have interfaced with local government as well
as European Union administration and organisers, we can
take action both then and now.
CT: Tony, why have you decided to leave the MPMA?
Tony Woods: I’m 61 and have been in the packaging
industry for 42 years. While I still feel that I am doing a good
job, there is never a right time to retire. Nick has been
involved for a long time with the MPMA in various capaci-
ties, so he will know how new regulations will have impact,
what will come up and how it’s likely to impact on the
industry. He will continue the role of translating this to the
members. I will still be an advisor to the association on an
informal basis – it is nice to maintain contact.
CT: Why are the Associations so important to the can
making industry?
TW: You have to be involved in the right stage of the
decision making process on issues that affect your industry.
You need to give your input into the initial key parts of the
process. For a long time, the metal packaging industry has
been slow to do just that. It hasn’t put in the effort. We’re
put the resources together when we’ve had to. This level
of activity assures that we fight to make changes and
address issues earlier in the process.
NM: We believe we have a strong product and we work
with issues such as recycling. You have to complete the
loop by telling people our story and not expect them to
know. The issues surrounding the environment in the UK are
climate change, carbon, waste and recyclability, and all
of these things fit together.
The role of an association is to create a level playing
field and currently it is not level in the eyes of consumers.
Going back in time, others were telling their stories but we
weren’t. This is now being addressed but I don’t feel that
various packaging materials should go head to head on
these issues.
CT: How has EMPAC, the European Metal Packaging
Association, evolved?
TW: We have seen EMPAC evolve over the last three or four
years and it now has much better levels of contacts. There
was initial scepticism when the re-organisation from SEFEL
to EMPAC happened and many things would be different
The new year brings a new leader at the MPMA, with the retire-ment of Tony Woods. Katrine Kjoeller met the two men to discuss the role of the association
Passing of the can torch
24
Nick Mullen
P.24,25 MPMA√.indd 24 19/7/11 12:14:12
CanTech International January/February 2008
such as funding and the organisation structure.
NM: While there are still some concerns, we
all support EMPAC, although it needs to move
beyond the can makers to external communication. We
also want the steel makers involved. Everyone now realises
that we are stronger as one voice and we are starting to
have an impact.
CT: How does the MPMA see the Waste Framework
Directive? What is its impact on the metal packaging
industry?
TW: When EMPAC was being created, a key issue was to
form a new organisation that could set the agenda rather
than accept the prior issues. What was coming up was the
Waste Framework Directive as an umbrella directive under
which packaging comes. Waste hierarchy was identified
as a key area and was interpreted in the most flexible way.
We support true recycling – not the spin – and we want to
be sure it could be interpreted in equal concepts.
NM: The MPMA supports the focus on flexibility in the
choice of recovery operations to allow each material or
product the possibility to pursue the more eco-efficient
method of recovery available.
When it comes to prevention, the metal packaging
stands strong as over the last 20 years we have reduced
the average weight of food cans by around a third and
beverage cans by nearly a half, while still delivering a
product that allows consumers to buy food that is safe
and healthy. We still invest around a third of our total R&D
budget in examining new ways to prevent waste from our
product and in our production processes.
EU level guidance is needed as our experience from
the sectoral waste legislation suggests that without proper
guidance of implementation, legislation can easily inter-
rupt the smooth functioning of the market. We recom-
mend that national plans are subject to guidance, noti-
fication and screening by the Commission in advance of
their implementation.
CT: Nick, what do you think you will bring to the role and
how has your career prepared you for it?
NM: I will be different to Tony and I’m worried I don’t have
the same knowledge. He has done an excellent job,
brought continuity and built the reputation of the organisa-
tion, which will be hard to follow. But I do have particular
experience and have worked in most functions and with
most people in the industry. I have, in other capacities,
worked with key players such as Francis Labbé, so have
the ability to communicate with various segments of the
industry.
CT: Tony, how do you feel about standing down?
TW: I have faith in Nick and part of my decision to step
down was knowing that he would be taking over. You
should always make sure you have your successor in
place. But I will still be part of the industry as I’m still
Passing of the can torch
25
MPMA
enthusiastic and hope I have contribu-
tions to make.
CT: How do you predict where
the MPMA and the can making
industry will be going forward?
NM: We are at a point where EMPAC
will be stronger in bringing the mes-
sage and the benefits of the can
across to consumers and the MPMA
will be a part of that.
TW: The industry is alive and well with
a lot of enthusiasm across the vari-
ous segments. From the outside it
may look like a small industry but it
is very vibrant. There are develop-
ments in many areas such as can
shaping technology, speed, ends and
recloseability, although the strong
base products remain the same. q
The environmental credentials fightWhen Sainsburys, promoting the results of its test market
of processed chopped tomatoes in Tetra Recart pack-
aging, indicated that the cardboard packaging would
take over from the food can, MPMA released a press
statement entitled: ‘The can answers back.’
“The suggestion that the future of the food can is
in question on the basis of a test market involving one
product line has been surprising. David Smith, technical
manager of the UK Metal Packaging Manufacturers
Association considers this sweeping claim ill-advised
and premature.”
The MPMA points out that the Tetra Pak package
cannot be handled on the can processing line. Instead,
a special line with an overpressure steriliser is required.
This represents an investment for the processor and the
highest line speed for a Tetra Recart is significantly less
that of 50-60,000 cans per hour.
Tetra Pak claims that flavour is better preserved in
the carton. Flavour deterioration can result from the
ingress of air leading to oxidative decay. The best form
of packaging by far to resist this is the metal can with a
totally impermeable body and ends and tight hermetic
end seals. The can offers the perfect barrier to light-
induced product deterioration and is tamper proof, an
important consideration in this day and age. “I would
question what the maximum shelf life expectation is for
a carton,” says Smith. “If this is less than the three years’
shelf-life characteristically enjoyed by the can, then this
is indicative of an inferior barrier to product deteriora-
tion.” He also mentions the ability to open the pack-
age easily and the robustness of the food can. APEAL,
the European confederation for the manufacturers of
packaging steels, has recently reported that 61 per
cent of packaging steel (2.1 million tonnes per year) is
now being recycled in Europe.”
Tony Woods
P.24,25 MPMA√.indd 25 19/7/11 12:14:14
MESSE ESSEN GmbH PO Box 10 0165, 45001 Essen, Germany Messehaus West, Norbertstraße, 45131 Essen, Germany Telephone +49. (0)201. 7244-727, Telefax +49. (0)201. 7244-513 [email protected]
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Brau Beviale
CanTech International January/February 2008
Last year a new epoch began for many players in the
beverage can sector. Just as wine producers bask in
memories of good vintage years, metal packaging
producers will look back on 2007 as a particularly good
year for wine in cans, with the growth rate expected to be
around 200 per cent on the previous year. The aluminium
long-necked can continues to push back boundaries in
decoration innovation and inviting interest from wine and
cider as well as beer. And brand-fillers in the soft drink and
alcoholic beverage sectors are discovering can “dressing”
as means to improve hygiene standards and raise brand
awareness among consumers.
Look at the endThe decorated aluminium foil can-lid label is becoming
increasingly valued for the multiple roles it will play in its
lifetime, from brand promotion and brand protection, to
consumer hygiene and safety. Growing acknowledge-
ment of what a bright, shiny additional label can do for
a brand merited the can lid label a place among one
German company’s top performers in 2007 presented at
Brau Beviale.
Once upon a time the lid was a blank and character-
less face of a can. But those days are over, ever since
label printer converter Constantia, a Haendler &
Natermann company based near Hanover, began
drawing out the inherent possibilities of lidding foil
for “can dressing”.
Most of the time people drink straight from the
can. A can-lid label’s first task is to form a protective
shield to guard against dust and bacteria. Another
prime role is to achieve visual impact and ensure
brand and product are easily identified from the
top down and therefore from every angle. On
many occasions the lid is in the line of sight, on a
shop shelf, in a storeroom or stowed away at
home. An unmistakeable label clearly signals
the product’s whereabouts.
Aesthetic as well as functional, aluminium
lidding foil allows a design on the can body
to be continued across the lid in keeping
with the brilliance of the can body. Motifs
can be reproduced in up to eight-colour
printing, rotogravure or flexo, with emboss-
ing, thermosensitive inks, and watermark or
luminous effects as options.
For secure adherence to the can, the
foil is fixed by a cold-glue sealing adhe-
sive, which is food-contact compliant for
consumer safety, using a Krones Taxomatic
labeller, at output speeds from 10,000 - 60,000
A fine vintage
labels/hr depending on
the machine model.
Mainly due to the health
benefits, can dressing has
found popularity among
brand-fillers marketing
their products in the coun-
tries of Latin America, espe-
cially Brazil. In Europe, nota-
bly it is brand owners selling
into Baltic States markets that
have joined the global band
of followers of the new fashion
in dressed cans. Meanwhile, in
North America it is making particu-
lar headway in lifestyle drinks aimed at female consumers
such as Rip it Chic by National Beverage.
Can lids now have the means to say whatever the
brand-owner wants to say, carry promotional messages for
short-run campaigns and carry through a colourful brand
design. In addition, because it is possible to print coding on
the reverse without detracting from a can’s overall visual
appeal, it introduces a cost-efficient vehicle for promo-
tional competitions on cans, says Angela Doyle, managing
director of Constantia’s UK business unit Danapak Flexibles,
of Dundee, Scotland.
Responsible for the company’s UK beverage market
sector, Doyle believes the can-lid labels will follow in
the footsteps of gold foil and paper dressing on glass
beer bottles and help deliver consumer reassurance
and a distinctive, premium appearance – two major
brand aspirations.
She further notes that drinks brand marketers had
been limited in their choice of ways need to differen-
tiate products until “neckwork” applied to bottles
provided a rich seam of possibilities and new
business for Constantia. Could a similar story
could be unfolding for “lidwork” on cans?
Next stop aluminiumBreakthroughs in beverage packaging were
long in coming but now marketers seem spoilt
for choice. Like an oasis forming in the desert,
the past few years have produced a hybrid
metal format container, which has hooked
established drinks brands, breathed new life
into the category and given birth to new
entrants.
The aluminium long-necked can, in the
hands of the brand manufacturers, is being
used to widen the gap between the brands by
27
Packaging producers will look back on 2007 as “a good year” for wine in cans, along with aluminium bottles and foil lids for can ends, as exhibitors at Brau Beviale in Germany showed. Joanne Hunter reports from Nürnberg
P.27,28,29 BRAU√.indd 27 19/7/11 12:17:39
Brau Beviale
January/February 2008 CanTech International 28
differentiating products on the shelf and in the consumers’
hands. Manufacturers of the new-generation metal cans
have been quick to sell the advantages over the glass
and plastic alternatives, in distribution and supply through
to consumer use.
The “can bottle” or “bottle can” burst onto the scene in
a noisy launch in 2002 by Heineken, supplied by the French
can maker Boxal. Boxal’s sales director Marc Bettinger told
CanTech at Brau Beviale that its novelty factor – and the
internet – have been driving up sales. He went on to say
Boxal in France is leading the mass-market development,
primarily to increase speeds of production.
In addition to France, production in the US and Argentina
is aiming to meet global brand owner demand. Notable
geographical “hot spots” include France, the Benelux
countries, Germany, Spain and Eastern Europe. For exam-
ple, Poland’s leading energy drink, Burn, is in an aluminium
bottle and Prosecco sparkling white wine is a German suc-
cess for brand-owner Henkell-Sohnlein. Meanwhile, the UK
remains a relative “cold spot”, observes Bettinger.
Initially the bottle can was conceived for beer, due to
its fast-to-cool, lighter weight and novelty characteristics.
Now cider and wine have come aboard to tap the promo-
tional potential. According to Bettinger the passing years
have made it culturally acceptable to drink wine from an
aluminium bottle.
Technological constraints are bringing forth creative
design solutions. Ways are being found to exploit expected
outcomes of the manufacturing process to produce out-
standing visual and tactile effects.
The result of printing material prior to shaping is notice-
ably different textures in the wider body and the slimmer
neck. In an award-winning design for Blueberry Mi, one
of a range of flavoured ciders by Swedish company
Trendway, the contrast is exaggerated to insinuate a
“frosted” appearance. The achievement won the praise
of judges and an award at Luxepack last year.
A lighter wineA recent shake-up of the wine sector has proved com-
peting container materials do not have to steal market
share from one another when new market opportunities
are being forced open. Wine has hit on a significant alter-
native profit source thanks to the bright idea of putting
bubbly light wines into cans and marketing the product in
nightclubs and bars. New business brought by the unusual
coupling of drink and container has been good news for
Brau Beviale exhibitor Ball Packaging.
The exhibition stand focused on the environmental cre-
dentials of metal packaging with the message of course
aimed at Ball Packaging’s direct customers.
“The target groups of beverage cans are young and
that age group isn’t interested in recyclability and it isn’t
a reason to buy,” says managing director Uwe Stoffels.
Also chairman of Beverage Can Makers Europe market-
ing committee, Stoffels told CanTech that the results of a
BCME study into young consumers and attitudes to recy-
cling are due to be published in February 2008.
He notes that in Poland aluminium is considered valu-
able, showing that different attitudes prevail according to
geography and culture as well as age group.
While PET bottles are “the real competitor” for soft drinks,
“we see a good chance that the can will come back”,
Stoffels says. In one recent case, Coca-Cola had returned
to cans from refillable PET bottles.
Back to the wine front, Rexam is working with South
African customer Eve on the international launch of its
sparkling rosé, white and red wine in a can. The 250ml
Beverage can boomCan makers are putting their money where the markets
are and expanding throughout Europe. For example,
Rexam’s aluminium can plant in Austria was started up
in autumn 2007, which running at full capacity could
produce two billion cans annually. An additional steel
line in La Selva, Spain is due to be opened in May 2008
and will add a 600 million-unit capacity.
In Russia, Rexam is building a greenfield aluminium
can plant in the Chelyabinsk area some 2,000km east
of Moscow. The plant will start up in the second quar-
ter of 2008 and have a capacity of 1.2 billion cans.
Another greenfield aluminium can plant in Denmark will
come on stream during the first half of 2009, with two
lines and total capacity of 1.2 billion cans.
Annual growth in the European beverage can mar-
ket of more than ten per cent is putting even more
pressure on the supply capabilities of the European
beverage can industry as a whole says Tomas Sjölin,
sector director, Rexam Beverage Can Europe & Asia:
“Rexam has invested in its largest expansion pro-
gramme ever so that we can capture growth and
continue to be responsive and flexible to our custom-
ers’ requirements.”
P.27,28,29 BRAU√.indd 28 19/7/11 12:17:42
Brau Beviale
CanTech International January/February 2008 29
Rexam slim can, initially targeted at 18 to 34-year-old
females, has reportedly picked up a male following.
Rexam also supplies 200ml cans for Prosecco wine
which Rexam claims are to be found “in most German
and Austrian retailers”. So in the great tradition of wine
producers that refer to good and bad years, packaging
producers will look back on 2007 as “a good year” for wine
in cans, with growth rates forecast to reach around 200 per
cent on the previous year.
In one fell swoop “convenience” packaging has given
wine a fun image and opens doors for listings in many more
outlets and different locations in a supermarket.
The Fusion projectRexam is also soon to unleash an aluminium bottle can
on to the market with a development partner, Italy-
based manufacturer Frattini. Called Fusion, a reference
to the mix of aluminium bottle and conventional
can manufacturing, the DWI bottles will offer
variable serving size, shoulder shape, neck length
and closing options.
Fusion production is due to start in February 2008
at Rexam’s UK research and development centre
in Milton Keynes where a pilot line incorporating
Rexam’s first Frattini Necker will support customers’
brand-marketing devel-
opment. Full production
lines are being planned
throughout Europe and
scheduled to start up
at the end of 2008 or
beginning of 2009, a
Rexam spokesperson
reported to CanTech at
Brau Beviale.
According to Steve
Howell, Rexam’s break-
through innovation
manager responsi-
ble for Fusion, it is “an
unprecedented oppor-
tunity for customers to
evolve or reinvent their
premium brands”. He
thinks consumers are
able to “really appreci-
ate” an improvement in
the drinking experience,
adding that being shat-
terproof, safe, cold to
the touch and reclos-
able, the can bottle is
particularly suitable in a
club or bar context.
The format will be
offer ROPP reclosable
or crown closures for
carbonated and non-
carbonated drinks. Also
flagged up are the all-important environmental considera-
tions of a lighter weight and 100 per cent recyclability.
Rexam further claims it is possible to carry out filling on
existing bottle filling lines with minimal disruption.
The company told Brau visitors that through large invest-
ment Rexam is aiming to manage more effectively its sup-
ply of cans to the whole of Europe. It is focusing expansion
on regions with the strongest growth – Central Europe,
Russia, Spain and the Nordic countries. In total Rexam is
looking to grow capacity by more than five billion cans
over the next two years.
With no shortage of innovation in container shape and
design, some sharply focused marketing tools, antici-
pated massive growth in capacity and drinks manufac-
turers knocking on can makers doors, could 2008 turn
out to be another bumper year for the can industry? q
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