Tin cans are widely used in the food industry for containing and preserving different types of food. Most tin cans are made with tinplate and other various metals like steel or aluminium. These cans are held together by tin can components that help seal the food within. Different types of tin cans vary depending on what component they have.
What makes a tin can, a tin can?
A tin can, also known simply as a tin or a can, is an airtight metal container used for the distribution or storage of goods. Most “tin cans” are made of tin-plated steel rather than pure tin. In order to open a can, the metal must be cut or torn.
The tops and bottoms of most cans are identical and parallel, with vertical cylindrical sides. Some contents, however, may justify a can with a somewhat conical overall shape. In other cases, the top and bottom may be rounded-corner rectangles or ovals for small volumes and certain shapes of the contents.
Most cans are manufactured with at least one “rim”—a narrow ring with an outside diameter slightly larger than the rest of the can.
The flat surfaces of rimmed cans are about the width of the rim recessed from the edge of any rim (toward the middle of the can); the inside diameter of a rim adjacent to this recessed surface is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the rest of the can.
Let’s take a look at some of these tin can components that are typically used to make a tin can.
Parts of a Tin Can
Bead: a concave (interior bead) or convex (exterior bead) area that spans the circumference of the tin to add strength and stability to the tin body.
Body: refers to the can without a lid; the bottom of a container.
Cover: the lid or closure of a can. It helps seal and secure food and beverage.
Curl: a section of tin that has been turned in on itself to provide a safe, finished curved edge.
Distortion Printing: Printing technique used to create a drawn (seamless) tin in which artwork is intentionally distorted for printing on flat metal. The artwork is transformed into its intended representation as the seamless tin is drawn upward to form the container.
Dome: a cover with a flat horizontal surface (top) that tapers smoothly onto the skirt (vertical surface).
End: The end of a tin, also known as the bottom. Coffee-style hermetic tins have two ends, as opposed to cookie-style tins, which have one end and a cover. Ends can be attached by seaming or crimping with a machine known as a seamer.
Four-Color Process: (4/c) the use of four colours, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, to create a nearly infinite spectrum of colours. The artwork is divided into four printing plates, and each colour is printed at a different screen angle to reproduce the original artwork on sheets of flat metal.
Full friction: a plug-style metal cap fits snugly against the can’s interior.
Hem: a tin area turned in on itself to provide a safe, finished flattened edge, similar to a curl.
Interior Seal: A cover/closure option in which a pliable ring fits inside a tin, allowing for a straight-sided slender profile can.
Layout: a two-dimensional drawing that depicts the exact specifications of a tin in its pre-fabricated (flat) state and is used to set up artwork to fit the can.
Lithography: is a printing technique that uses flat metal sheets to create tin cans.
Lock-seam: Side walls meet and hook onto one another to form a tin body in a lock-seam. Many decorative tins are made this way because this seam style allows the printed area to meet at the seams.
Multiple friction: a plug closure fits into a “well” of a seamed-on ring, causing multiple frictions. When the plug is pressed into the ring, both surfaces (the outside and inside edge) make contact with the ring, resulting in multiple sealing surfaces on the plug/ring combination.
PMS: the “Pantone Matching System” is used for spot colours that cannot be achieved through the 4/c process or are more cost effective for producing one-, two-, or three-color designs.
Pre-press: Laying the artwork for the tin can component before printing; includes proofing and creating films and plates for printing.
Slipcover: a cover/closure style in which the skirt (vertical surface) of the cover slips over and around the can body.
Stepped cover: a type of slipcover in which a “step” is created between the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the cover to allow for stacking tins with less risk of tipping over.
Varnish: is a clear protective coating that is applied to metal. Varnishes come in gloss, matte, and stipple finishes. We only use FDA-approved varnishes that are safe for food contact.
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Choose MC Packaging for Premium Quality Tin Can Components
When it comes to producing the best quality tin can components for established food packaging companies, MC Packaging is the one to trust. We remain the leading tin can and tin can components manufacturer globally.
For over 50 years, MC Packaging has been producing high-quality tin cans for a global clientele. We have been delivering premium quality tin cans to established brands in the food packing industry for many years.
MC Packaging is the trusted manufacturer for high-quality tin cans for your business. Contact us if you need high-quality tin cans.
