canned beer
six-packs, 24-can sleeves or regular 24-can cases.
Altogether, there are 16 interlinked machines, which perform 21 separate operations.
This is said to be the most completely automatic of any food or beverage canning line in the world today and, since it starts with the raw metal instead of a finished can, the claim may be justified. It is substantially improved and stepped up in speed over the German prototype which involved considerable manual and semi-automatic operation. And it permits Hawaii Brewing to utilize cans for the first time because it was too costly to ship can bodies from the mainland. All Hawaii looks to this development as a means of making its extensive canning operations independent of stateside supplies.
The revolutionary line went into operation at the end of July and it is already handling a major portion of Hawaii Brewing's top-selling Primo brand of lager beer. Production rate, using four impact-extrusion machines, is 57,600 cans per day on one shift. The package is being promoted in the island market as the "Shiny-Steiny." Its foil-paper label is expected eventually to be replaced with direct lithography of the metal in a rotary machine already proved in prototype operation-which will fit into the line in place of the present labeler.
The aluminum can weighs only 2 lbs. of metal per case of 24 cans against almost 5 lbs. for conventional tinplate cans. Pure 2S aluminum is the
High polish, fast-chilling and cold-retention properties of aluminum and stackability of concave lid and ridged bottom are sales features of new "Shiny-Steiny" seamless can. Walls and lid are 12 mils thick, bottom is 30. Standard pronged beer-can opener is used to pierce lid, but a special opener being developed will remove the top completely and smooth roll the lip for a tumbler effect.
Continuous beer-can line from impact extrusion to finished package
ALUMINUM
SLUG
o
CASING
TRIMMING
I AND 7 1
[piston flanging P "
HITS SLUG \ III
WITH FORCE • ///
OF 400 TONS < Jj
TO FORM CAN
WASHING, ETCHING INTERIOR AND DRYING COATING
| LABELER JJ]^
16 interlinked machines perform 21 separate operations in converting ¾6-in.-thick disks into aluminum can bodies at a rate of 120 per minute and completing all packaging steps through 24-can cartoning.