Starpack Research: How a Decorative General Line Container is Made

1. Steel strip arrives at the can manufacturing plant in large coils.

2. Steel strip is cut into large sheets.

3. When necessary for the design of the container and product packed, lacquer is applied to the side of the sheet that will become the internal surface and / or print is applied to the external surfaces.

4. The lacquered and printed sheets are dried in an oven

5. The large sheets are slit into small sheets, one for each can body.

6. Two opposing edges of the blank are folded to form hooks, as shown. The blank is then placed over a mandrel which is the shape of the container.A pair of shaped callipers close around the sheet and form

the body shape. The hooks lock together to prevent the metal springing apart when the calipers are opened again. Mandrels and callipers can be made to form many different cross-section shapes.

7. As the calipers open the mandrel expands to tighten the seam. Then the hammer compresses the seam to

the finished shape. 

8. The base of the body wall is flanged and a base is fitted with an inside or outside seam. The top edge of the body wall is hemmed to hide the sharp metal edge or beaded to make it stronger. A bead is also made in the wall for more strength and to act as a stop for the slip lid.

9. Finished containers are packed into cartons which are then palletised, or directly onto pallets, depending on the can design.