Top Tins

THE last quarter of 2009 saw a flurry of originality in metal cans and closures for products that range from premium water to vodka. Innovations cited as "Can of the Year" and "Best in Metal" are indicative of the metal packaging industry抯 determination to wrestle back share taken over by cartons and plastic. In addition to marketing the sustainability, recyclability and safety of metal packaging, the industry has been promoting cans that can increase image and impact. The greatest successes have been in niche and premium segments, where companies are willing to invest in design and development of cans that distinguish the product and highlight its individuality. From Dubai to London, the best in steel and aluminum packaging show a degree of creativity and technology excellence that indicates that metal packaging is far from its demise. Lightweighting aluminum even further Nearly a decade after US-based Exal Corporation set out to produce a lightweight impact-extruded aluminum bottle, its 300ml C@C bottle weighs over 40 percent less, providing significant material savings. The bottles are now produced in limited numbers and being used commercially by a leading water company in Canada. This revolutionary bottle can won the Can of the Year Award for Exal at The Canmaker Summit held in Dubai (October 28-29). The C2C bottle also won the Gold award in the Bottles category. C2C, which stands for Coil-to-Can, uses similar techniques as for making drinks cans, starting with thin aluminum coil, and potentially offers production speeds in the region of 1,000 bottles per minute. Development costs in excess of $30 million have been spent on a pilot manufacturing line in Ohio with capacity to make 120 million bottles a year. The C2C bottle that won the Can of the Year Award was made for Eaux Vives mineral water in Canada, which has yet to officially announce the launch of the C2C bottle for its products. Exal is planning major investments in bottle production capacity to meet the increasing demands of its customer. World-class package designs Distinctive designs by Crown Holdings, Inc. led to five honors from the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA), four of which were for foods and beverages. The MPMA organizes the Best in Metal Awards each year to showcase metal packaging excellence, innovation and creativity. One of the company抯 business units, Crown Speciality Packaging Europe, was recognized for a range of consumer products including vodka, biscuits and nuts. The Gold Award in the Beverage category for the Finlandia Waistline Vodka tin. The five-piece tin features a mix of blue and white hues with high-resolution wintry snowflakes that conveys the freshness that is associated with the brand. A waistline profile at the top of the package facilitates product handling. In the Non-Processed Food category, Crown won the Gold Award for the Marks & Spencer Mixed Nuts range of tins. Designed to combine elegance with convenience, the cylindrical tins feature recloseable lids to extend product shelf life. High quality graphics help consumers easily identify the product inside while metallic gold highlights convey a world-class image. A Highly Recommended Award in the Non-Processed Food category was won for the Cadbury Heritage Biscuit Barrel. Its rounded biscuit tin shape and design captures the nostalgic trend perfectly. A gold printed decorative bow wraps around the body, making it an ideal gift for any occasion. Complemented by the contrast of the dark violet color, the white Cadbury logo on the container body helps modernize this well-loved brand. AtZoom Kobe 1 Protro