Composite Cans
A composite can is a cylindrical container that usually has a body made of several layers of paper, and the bases or ends are made of metal or plastic. A composite can is also sometimes called a Combi container.
Quick links to Composite Cans Information
Applications of Composite Cans
Composite cans are often used for packaging household items, such as:
- Bread Crumbs
- Hot Chocolate Mixes
- Nuts
- Cakes
- Spices
- Tea
- Cleaning Gels
- Baking Sodas
Composite Can Design and Customization
Composite cans are composed of a body, a bottom closure, and a top closure. There are four main structures in the body of a composite can: the aluminum inner web, multiple intermediate webs, the label web, and the membrane. The membrane and tear off tabs are made of metals (usually aluminum). The membrane is manufactured in a blanking and deep drawing device. This same device cuts circular slits to make the tear-off membrane. Another machine then manufactures and seals the tear-off membranes. The membrane band is taken from the material reel, blanked, deep drawn, and formed.
Closures for composite cans come in different forms, including aluminum membranes with tear tabs, paper membranes with or without aluminum coating, paper board ends, and paper board shakers. These closures can be made from aluminum foil or paper with or without coating. Other closure options are available depending on the company and request of the customer.
Benefits of Using Composite Cans
Composite cans offer several advantages, such as cost-effectiveness, environmental safety (composite cans are mostly made from recycled products), durability, versatility, and user friendliness in general.
Types of Composite Cans
There are two main kinds of composite cans: spiral wound cans and linear draw cans. Spiral wound cans are made by diagonally winding and gluing four layers of material together. The bottom layer is tin or foil, the two middle layers are paper board, and these serve to give the can its structure. The outermost layer may be optional, depending on if the customer will like a label added to the can itself (this typically increases the cost of production). Linear draw cans are made by drawing the materials through the gluing process and then the tooling process. After the tube is made, it is cut into separate cans. These kinds of cans are made in one single process.