Aluminium drink bottles are predicted rapid growth: Leading bottlers are increasingly using “DWI Bottle Cans” as premium packaging, which allows for improved freedom of design.
As Drawing and Wall Ironing (DWI) is used in production of bottle cans, they require significantly less raw materials than traditional extruded bottles. Experts are going so far as to say that, in the future, more of these aluminium bottles will be produced every year than aerosol cans. The trend has spread from Japan to the USA and also to China.
It is in this context that the world’s largest press manufacturer, Schuler, has partnered up with Japanese specialists in DWI Bottle Cans, TMC. TMC is a market leader in machinery for the production of aluminium bottles and has developed a machine to form bottle necks (“Bottle Necker”) with ambitious tool technology. They are defining the individual design of metal packaging with this.
The TMC-neckers are available with 40 to 56 forming stations. Independently of this, the maximum diameter of the bottles is 59mm or 66mm, with a maximum bottle length of up to 245mm. The rate of production is up to 150 bottles per minute. TMC Bottle Neckers are in use all over the world. The company has further locations such as in Hong Kong and in the USA.
Bottle Cans production lines generally consist of a cupping press, a “Bodymaker”, a “Light Tester”, and a Bottle Necker, as well as cleaning, decorating and inspection equipment. Schuler is offering high-performance Cuppers and highly flexible ServoCupFormers as well as Bodymakers with complete mass balancing (BodyFormer) from its own production. Schuler is taking over commercial representation for TMC Bottle Neckers in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Interested parties are thereby gaining a competent contact for the machinery and processes necessary for the production of drink bottles in these regions.
“TMC is bringing its know-how of tools and processes to the collaboration and we are bringing our experience of building metal packaging presses, as well as our global customer service,” says Schuler director Johannes Linden, who manages the Systems division. “Thus we are creating the ideal environment for our customers to successfully profit from the success of bottle cans in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”
Schuler and TMC will be exhibiting at the Metpack trade convention in Essen from May 2nd-6th.
More info: www.schulergroup.com
