Metpack Conference: top-class programme

From May 2 to 6 the world's leading fair Metpack at Messe Essen will set new standards for the metal packaging sector. 

In addition to the range offered by the over 300 exhibitors, the Metpack Conference on the second day of the fair will promote knowledge transfer and serve as a valuable networking forum. In the West Congress Centre at Messe Essen ten international experts will provide information about current research results and new manufacturing technologies in a concise manner. The event will be opened by Dr. Peter Biele, Chairman of the Board of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, with a keynote about opportunities for the metal packaging industry.

After Dr. Biele's lecture, Dr. Burkhard Kaup, Head of Materials Technology at thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, will provide information about potentials for the further optimisation of steel packaging. With "Solidflex" the company has developed an improved solution for this purpose. The packaging steel specialist has succeeded in optimising the tested "DR Formable" material quality even further.

"Due to another increase in the hardness we can make packaging steel available which now reaches a tensile strength of 700 MPa instead of the previous value of nearly 580 MPa - and that with an extended elongation between five and ten percent," reported the Head of Materials Technology.

Special coatings decrease migration and preserve the aroma
Metal packaging needs a lining in order to prevent any corrosion and to preserve the contents. With the Canvera dispersions the chemical company Dow Coating Materials is offering special coatings, which are made of polyolefins, are based on water-soluble systematics and decrease migration. Furthermore, polyolefin coatings preserve the aroma of the packed food and deliver outstanding adhesion, corrosion protection and elasticity. Why the use of these coatings is a breakthrough for the metal packaging industry will be explained by Bernhard Kainz, Global Technology Leader Packaging Coatings at Dow Coating Materials.

With numerical simulation, Olivier Beigneux, Research Team Manager at ArcelorMittal, will present an effective tool for the development of new cans to the participants in the conference. Using the finite element method on the computer the manufacturers of these cans simulate properties such as load resistance and formability of cans before these go into production. For this purpose, the can is modelled into a mesh of ultrasmall nodes on the computer and the developer can predict the material behaviour on the basis of the condition of the mesh. In comparison with conventional test series in the laboratory the digital procedure improves the cost efficiency as well as the product diversity and shortens the time to market.

New Conveying Systems Improve the Efficiency
Manufacturers produce up to 3,000 cans per minute in modern factories - a challenge for the developers of suitable conveying systems. In their lecture, David Bogle, Global Spiral Research and Development Leader, and Andres Gomez, Spiral Application Manager (EMEA), will speak about the patented DirectDrive technology of the conveying system manufacturer Intralox. In comparison with the traditional spiral technology DirectDrive systems improve the load-bearing capacities of the belts and extend their service lives. Furthermore, the technology reduces the scope of maintenance and the susceptibility to operational failures.

Thereafter, Graham MacFarlane, Member of the Board of the Böttcher Group, will address the improvement of coating rollers for metal packaging. Particularly in the plastic, metal, wood and textile industries special requirements are set on the roller covers. For example, coating rollers in the metal packaging sector are exposed to a large number of lacquer variants which influence the roller covers.

The Böttcher Group is systematically investigating the interactions between various roller covers and lacquer types. Thus, the company expands the knowledge about the optimum properties of coating rollers in conjunction with certain paints.

Vegetable packaging made of tomato waste
In his lecture, Tomotake Tokunaga, CEO of Sanyu Machinery, will speak about two machines for the external and internal cleaning of tin cans. Compared with conventional installations the experienced Japanese manufacturer offers an additional air-pressure-based cleaning step in the manufacturing process. A patented triangle system permits constant exposure – even for metal can areas with difficult access. For example, the automotive industry could profit from perfectly dust-free tins of paint.  

Vegetable packaging made of tomato waste: Under the leadership of Salchi Metalcoat, researchers for the Biocopac project are developing alternative, bio-based coatings for the tin can industry. On the occasion of the Metpack Conference, Sebastiano Brenni, Managing Director at Salchi Metalcoat, will explain how tomato skins, which are normally disposed of as waste, are utilised as particularly health-compatible coatings on the internal and external walls of tin cans. For this purpose a resin is isolated from tomato skins and further processed into a coating. In the long term, the economic raw material should increase the attractiveness of metal packaging compared to plastic solutions.

High speed in the manufacture of cans and lids
To conclude the conference, Rolf Geide, Senior Executive Vice President Marketing & Sales at Soudronic, will present an overview of the range of the Soudronic subsidiary Cantec. The Essen-based manufacturer has specialised in high-speed lines for the manufacture of cans and lids. Installations of the newest generation offer improved economic viability as a result of upgrades: Production runs with up to 1,500 cans per minute become possible. The potential for saving material grows at the same time since lower sheet thicknesses can be set. Moreover, an upgrade of the OCSAM SGS duplex slitter makes it possible to changeover the production in a quick and uncomplicated way even in case of small batches.