Case Study

Printing and Marking on Aluminium Cansin the

What is the best way to print on aluminium cans?

THE BACKGROUND Aluminium cans have become increasingly popular for beverages, in recent years. It’s not difficult to see why. This is because they are:

EASY to recycle, with an average can containing 72%

of recycled metal, according to the Can Makers

Association.

LIGHTWEIGHT −easily stacked and easy to ship out

which means they have a lower carbon footprint, in

terms of logistics and supply chains.

CORROSION free −aluminium cans never rust.

They are also a shining example of true “closed loop”

recycling. This means they are remade into new cans,

which is not the case with glass or plastic as these are

typically “down-cycled “into a lesser product.

New markets are continuing to develop such as craft

beer products, canned water and energy drinks which

means producers can reach their target audience more

easily.

There has been a massive boom in the craft beer sector

recently, with the introduction of innovative products

and colourful packaging which has meant brewers are

now positioning the aluminium can as a “mini-keg” that

delivers perfect draft-quality fresh beer to the glass.

Printing and coding on cans provides customer

reassurance, product traceability as well as the

opportunity for marketing promotions via the use of QR

codes. However, the industry provides many challenges

when choosing the most suitable printing system.

THE PROBLEM

With high productivity operating in the industry, the

canning lines move very rapidly and often operate on a

24/7 basis. This means that the printing system must be

able to keep up with the lines, as any downtime is

reflected in the loss of production.

THE PROBLEM

There may be a need for several lines of text eg

production date, a best-before date, batch code etc and

the printers need to be easy to maintain and hassle-

free, to keep the lines running. High quality print is a

must for legibility and visibility.

The production environment may be difficult with a hot,

moist atmosphere which may adversely affect the

printer. The machine needs to be easy to clean from a

hygiene point of view and non-corrosive.

The printer’s interface needs to be easy to use by all the

operators and also have various levels of security to

prevent any errors. It also needs to be quick and simple

to change, not to impede the running of the line. The

machine printheads must be robust, and able to operate

in challenging conditions such as hot atmospheres and

the nozzles remain unblocked. The system should be

cost-effective, with minimum of consumable wastage.

The aluminium can also provide many challenges for the

printer - its very shape with curved top and bottom, can

give difficulties and the can itself may come in varying

shapes and sizes.

THE SOLUTION

The Hitachi CIJ printing system is the ideal solution for

printing and coding on aluminium cans. It offers the

user several benefits such as:

• Simple and easy to use – the interface can be

readily changed to provide text, numbers or

marks,

• Economical – the solvent used is very cost-

effective so there is little wastage

• Economical – the solvent used is very cost-

effective so there is little wastage

• Easy and quick to maintain – the fast-running

production line will not be impeded by

downtime

• Robust and reliable – both machine and

printheads are built to be used in challenging

environments. (IP class).

THE OUTCOME

With an industry-leading 5-year warranty and a tailored

maintenance plan available, the Hitachi CIJ offers

complete peace of mind to the customer.

Training is available for customers, either on-site or off-

site and technical advice is always available, via the

telephone. Our experienced and trained engineers can

assist with any problems.

The Hitachi CIJ can also be used by can manufacturers

themselves, if full tracking and visibility is needed for

internal quality procedures. Invisible UV ink is available,

as well as a range of other colours.

The Hitachi CIJ system is also an ideal product which

offers full flexibility – as production increases then it is

easy to adapt. In short it is a system that meets the

needs of today as well as tomorrow, future-proofing

your investment.

ITW

Unit 9, Gateway 1000, Whittle

Way, Arlington Business Park

Stevenage

Herts

SG1 2FP

Tel:+44 (0)1438 347770

info@allencoding.co.uk

www.allencoding.com

Case Study

tel:+44mailto:info@allencoding.co.uk