Before becoming the aluminium cans we’re familiar with. There are production processes they must go through. Ever wondered how the aluminium cans holding your drinks are made? What’s the production process they go through? Let’s dive into it together in this article.

Starting from the raw material preparation like Aluminium Coil, which is over 69% recycled aluminium melted, cast into logs, and then rolled into sheets, these aluminium rolls then undergo several steps before being sent to the can manufacturing plants.

The production process of aluminium cans is divided into 2 main parts: the can body and the can end, each with its separate production process, which are then assembled after the drink has been filled.

Production process of the aluminium can body

• The Aluminium Coil is fed into an Uncoiler machine to unfold the aluminium sheet from the roll. Then it goes through a process where a Food Grade lubricant is applied to aid in the cutting and forming process of the Cupper Press machine.
• The Cupper Press starts the can forming process, a key part of aluminium can production. It’s different from other metal packaging that usually has three parts and requires welding the components together later. Aluminium cans only have 2 parts, and the forming process begins by cutting the aluminium sheet into a round shape and then forming it into a cup shape. The leftover aluminium from this process is recycled.
• The formed can base is then moved to a process where it’s stretched to achieve the desired thickness and height. The top of the can is trimmed to make it even, and the bottom is pushed inwards to form a dome shape to increase the can’s strength. This dome structure can support weight well, allowing it to withstand the pressure from the beverage inside. This also saves on the amount of aluminium used because there’s no need for additional aluminium to reinforce the can’s strength.