Shaped steel can reaps awards

A shaped steel can for a 125-mL aerosol air freshener sold by Brunel S.A. of France has won two prestigious packaging awards since it hit store shelves in France in May, 2003.

Pw 13228 News Brunel

Filled by a contract packager and sold in drug stores and DIY outlets for 4.20 Euros, the Ambiance d’Ailleurs can is made by USC Europe on specialized hydroforming equipment. Printing is done in five colors on an offset press.

To produce the container, a standard three-piece steel can is placed in a mold into which pressurized water is injected to push the steel out to the walls of the mold. The hydroforming machine currently in use is a linear, four-cavity system not capable of more than 20 cans/min. But USC Europe indicates that should the marketplace take a liking to shaped cans, a higher-speed machine could be readily developed. USC Europe has been supplying shaped steel cans for just over two years.

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