How Aluminum Beverage Cans Are Manufactured
Modern aluminum cans are produced through a highly efficient process called drawing and ironing (D&I). A single aluminum disk is transformed into a thin-walled, one-piece can body in seconds.
Step-by-Step Process
- Cupping: A circular blank is punched from aluminum coil and drawn into a shallow cup.
- Drawing & Ironing: The cup is redrawn and ironed through rings to stretch the wall and form the can body.
- Trimming: The top edge is trimmed to precise height.
- Cleaning: The body is washed to remove lubricants and debris.
- Coating: Internal lining is sprayed and cured to protect beverage and aluminum.
- Decorating: Dry-offset lithography applies up to 7 colors plus varnish.
- Necking: The top is narrowed to accept the end diameter (200 or 202).
- Palleting: Finished cans are inspected, counted and packed for shipment.
Quality Control
Inline cameras and gauges check wall thickness, height, diameter, coating weight and print registration. Destructive tests sample buckle strength, axial load and internal pressure resistance.
Production Scale
Alucan production lines can run at speeds exceeding 3 million cans per day, with matching easy open end capacity of 90 billion pieces annually.